Culver's root

Veronicastrum virginicum (L.) Farw.

Family: Scrophulariaceae (figwort)

David Cappaert, Bugwood.org

Flowerhead of Culver's root

Bloom Period:
- Mid-Season,
Growth Cycle:
- Perennial,
Growth Habit:
- Forbs/Herbs,
Insect Type Attracted:
- Natural Enemy,
- Pollinator,
Light:
- Full,
- Partial,
Region:
- Southern Lower Peninsula,
Soil Moisture:
- Medium,
- Wet
Height:
- 3-5ft

Natural enemies attracted

Moderately attractive: Orius insidiosus. Small numbers for Chalcidoidea, Dolichopodidae, Thomisidae, Salticidae, Syrphidae, Empididae and Braconidae.

Pollinators attracted

Highly attractive: bees including sweat bees, small carpenter bees, and bumble bees; also highly attractive to honey bees.

Pests attracted

Highly attractive: lygus bugs.

Mildly attractive: aphids, leaf beetles, leafhoppers, thrips and Japanese beetles.

Plant notes

This plant has small, white flowers on thin, long stalks. Flowering stalks grow to 3-5 ft tall, sometimes falling over without support. Culver?s root bloomed from late July through early August. This was one of the less attractive mid season native plants to natural enemies, with fewer natural enemies than the grass control.

Habitat

Tolerance for this plant includes full sun to partial shade, and average to wet soil. It is naturally occuring in fens, prairie remnants and meadows, along riverbanks, roadsides and in deciduous woodlands.

Cultivation and management

Culver's root can be difficult to establish when direct sown, but it flowers in the second or third year when grown from seed. It can also be grown from plug material and flowers in first or second year.