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White Rosinweed

Silphium albiflorum

Other common name(s):

Compass Plant, White-flowered Rosinweed

Family:

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Cross Timbers, Edwards Plateau, Texas Blackland Prairies
Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Loam, Clay, Gravelly, Limestone, Caliche

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Nectar Insects, Bees

Maintenance

Drought tolerant. Slow-growing and extremely long-lived perennial, Preferring dry soil, this is a good plant for rock gardens, native gardens and rocky hillsides. Native Habitat: Prairies, plains, meadows soils Propagation: Seed.

Comments

Blooms May-August. A North-Central Texas endemic. Named Compass Plant because its leaves always align in a north-south direction, exposing their large, flat surfaces to as much sun as possible. Large, white, daisy-like blooms grow up and down the stem. The taproot can reach 15 feet long that can grow right out of rock. Important for pollinator species because it blooms in the hottest time of the year when resources are scarce.

References

1) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt 2) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=4323&locationType=County&mapType=Normal 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SIAL, 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Silphium+albiflorum&formsubmit=Search+Terms, 5) https://seedsource.com/white-rosinweed/, 6) https://www.plantdelights.com/products/silphium-albiflorum

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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