Veronicastrum virginicum
A tall native North American perennial forming clumps with candle-like spikes of white to pale blue or pinkish flowers that bloom in mid to late summer, thrives in moist meadows or wetlands, and attracts a variety of pollinators, providing a dramatic vertical accent.
Common Names
Culver’s Root, Bowman’s Root, Blackroot
Summary
Culver’s root is a tall, clump-forming perennial native to North America, with upright stems and whorled leaves supporting candelabra-like spikes of small white to pale blue flowers that bloom in midsummer, reaching about 3–7 feet in height to provide a striking vertical accent in borders, prairie plantings, or wildflower meadows while attracting bees and butterflies.
It prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, is hardy in USDA zones 3–8, and requires minimal maintenance though staking may be needed in exposed sites; deadheading can extend bloom, and propagation is commonly by division or seed. It is deer resistant and suitable for borders, rain gardens, and naturalistic plantings, with cut flowers valued for their tall, architectural spikes.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3-6 feet
Spread
18-24 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Sun, Partial Shade, and light shade.
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter
Soil Drainage
Moist but well-drained soil.
Soil pH
No specific ideal soil pH; it tolerates all soil pH levels (acidic to alkaline), with 6.5 noted as slightly acidic.
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Dark green, sometimes yellowish green in bright sunlight or during drought.
Fall Foliage Color
Green, Yellowish-Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Grows slowly in the first year, then recovers and grows more in the second growing season; spreads readily; gradually expands in girth over time.
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) Farw.
- Publication
- Druggists' Circ. 61: 231 (1917)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Genus
- Veronicastrum
Synonyms
Veronicastrum rubellum Veronica quinquefolia Veronicastrum album Veronica virginica Leptandra virginica Leptandra purpurea Leptandra oppositifolia Leptandra caerulea Paederota virginica Calistachya alba Callistachya virginica var. lanceolata Callistachya virginica var. purpurea Eustachya alba Eustachya purpurea Eustaxia alba Eustaxia japonica Eustaxia sibirica Veronicastrum virginicum f. villosa Veronicastrum virginicum f. virginicum Leptandra villosa Veronica virginica f. purpurea Veronicastrum virginicum f. roseum Veronicastrum virginicum f. purpureum Veronica virginica var. hirsuta Veronicastrum virginicum var. purpureum Leptandra virginica var. incarnata Veronica diversifolia Veronicastrum diversifolium Veronica purpurea Leptandra alba Callistachya virginica Eustaxia purpurea Eustachya villosa Veronicastrum virginicum var. lanceolatum Leptandra virginica var. purpurea