Cup Plant

Description:

Silphium perfoliatum is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in Asteraceae, the aster family, it is native from Eastern and Central North America. It grows in prairies, open woodlands, and on stream banks. Silphium perfoliatum is an herbaceous perennial. A typical height this plant grows ranges from 1-2.5 m. The stem is square and glabrous. The stout, smooth, slightly hairy stem is strongly 4-angled.The leaves are in an opposite arrangement. The leaves are toothed and ovate leaf shape.The petioles are widely winged. The petioles’ base is at the stem and it is fused with its opposite in its pair that form a cup where the stem is located. The stem terminates in a single flower bud. All other species of Silphium present in Michigan does not have the fused leaf bases of cup plant.

Notes:

The long blossoming season and abundance of flowers provides a rich source for bees and the cultivation of honey. In the last image, you can see that it attracts American Goldfinches.