Marshallia obovata

Common Names

Spoonshape Barbara's Buttons, Barbara's Buttons, Piedmont Barbara's Buttons

Summary

Marshallia obovata is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae native to the southeastern United States, with confirmed occurrences in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. It grows 10–60 cm tall with mostly basal, petiolate leaves that are 3-nerved, elliptic to oblanceolate or spatulate and about 5 cm long and 5–15 mm wide, and bears 1–2 flower heads on peduncles 20–40 cm tall; heads have phyllaries 5–10 × 2–3 mm and white corollas whose lobes are 2.5–6 × 0.5–1 mm, with pappi margins entire or denticulate, flowering May–June in understories of pine forests at 100–1000 m. A scapiform variety, var. scaposa, exists, and the plant is glabrous, commonly known as Spoonshape Barbara's-buttons. In cultivation, Marshallia obovata prefers full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil and tolerates dry conditions; it forms clumps up to about two feet tall and is suitable for meadow, native, border, and pollinator garden settings, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It is grown as an ornamental plant and has been recognized as the NC Wildflower of the Year in 2009.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-23.5 inches

Spread

4-23.5 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7a-8b

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun and Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil.

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Growth Rate

Medium

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, other pollinators, songbirds