Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
A rhizomatous Asteraceae native to the central and eastern United States, starting as a basal rosette and later producing a tall flowering stalk with small white to greenish flowers, found along the edges of woods, pastures, and roadsides and attracting a diverse array of insect pollinators.
Common Names
Pale Indian Plantain, Pale Wild Caraway
Summary
Arnoglossum atriplicifolium, Pale Indian Plantain, is a rhizomatous perennial in the Asteraceae native to eastern North America. It forms tall, unbranched flowering stalks from a basal rosette of blue-green leaves with glaucous undersides, and bears flat-topped panicles of small white flowers surrounded by stiff green bracts. The plant's glaucous foliage and upright panicles give it a pale, architectural presence, and underground rhizomes help it spread. It tolerates full sun to partial shade and soils ranging from moist to dry, and is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. It self-seeds readily and can naturalize in woodland, thicket, meadow, and native plant gardens, providing tall vertical interest; flower clusters attract pollinators and contribute to naturalistic borders or woodland garden schemes.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3-9 feet
Spread
1-3 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4a-8b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Moist, loamy, well-drained soil.
Soil Drainage
Moist, well-drained soil
Soil pH
6.0-8.0
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Glaucous (bluish-green) foliage
Fall Foliage Color
Blue, Blue-Gray, Blue-Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) H.Rob.
- Publication
- Phytologia 28: 294 (1974)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asterales
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Subfamily
- Asteroideae
- Tribe
- Senecioneae
- Genus
- Arnoglossum
Synonyms
Mesadenia similis Conophora similis Cacalia gigantea Senecio atriplicifolius Mesadenia rotundifolia Cacalia atriplicifolia Cacalia rotundifolia Senecio atriplicifolius var. atriplicifolius Mesadenia pulverulenta Mesadenia atriplicifolia Conophora atriplicifolia Cacalia paniculata