Other Common Names: Rattlesnake Root, Lion's Foot
I found a single plant of this perennial native flowering at my local park. Five feet tall, it was growing in a shady, low lying location in an oak woodland.
The nodding flowers are light pink to white with light purple bracts arranged in clusters. The clusters arise from the alternating leaf axils.
The leaves change from a simple lance shaped leave near the top to a more deeply lobed leaf at the bottom of the plant.
Bareroot plants and seed are available from Prairie Moon Nursery.
White Lettuce is native to northeastern North America. See map below.
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| Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C. |
Prenanthes species are not very well appreciated by most. The blooms you show are very attractive though. I have some in my shaded woodland. They never get enough sun to bloom, but the early foliage is very nice - a bit on the speckled side. People always notice it and ask about it, as if they thought it might be some ornamental ground cover.
ReplyDeleteThat sure is a pretty bloom. I see my SE Nebraska location is just out of the area for this plant. We have some kinds of wild lettuce, but I don't know if they are anything someone would want in their yard in a city.
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen,
ReplyDeleteI agree, they can look weedy to many people. Your prenanthes species sounds interesting too. This one apparently is browsed by deer, do you think yours is as well?
Heather
Hi Sue,
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting flower, although I think many people would pass it by without noticing the blooms. I'm going to check back on the seeds later in the fall.
Heather