Common Name: Blackroot

Latin Name: Pterocaulon pycnostachyum

Family:  Asteraceae

Habit:  A perennial wildflower that grows to a height of about 2 feet.

Leaves:  Alternate, elliptic to lanceolate with wavy margins.  Some leaf bases, and stems, are winged.

Flowers:  White flower spikes appear in the spring and summer.

Habitat:  Pine stands, sandhills and dry disturbed sites.

Landscape: It grows in full sun to part shade with average to dry soils.

Range:  It is native to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

It grows in zones 8a to 11.

Wildlife use:  Bees and butterflies use the flowers as a nectar source.