Late figwort, Carpenter's square

Scrophularia marilandica L.

Family: Scrophulariaceae (figwort)

Late figwort, Carpenter’s square

Anna Fiedler, MSU Entomology

Carpenter's square or late figwort

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

Natural enemies attracted

Moderately attractive: Empididae.

Mildly attractive: Chalcidoidea, Thomisidae, Vespidae polistes, Syrphidae, Dolichopodidae, Orius insidiosus, Coccinellidae and Chrysopidae.

Pollinators attracted

Moderately attractive: bees including yellow-faced bees, sweat bees, and bumble bees

Pests attracted

Moderately attractive: lygus bugs.

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

Plant notes

Small, difficult to see green and maroon flower spikes. Plants established well, filling in their second year of growth. Plants bloomed from late July to early August. This species was the 11th most attractive to natural enemies in the mid season, with similar numbers of natural enemies as in the grass control.

Habitat

Late figwort grows in full to partial sun, and mid-range soil mosture (neither very wet nor very dry). It naturally occurs in floodplains and riverbank thickets. It is also found in clearings, along woods borders and roadsides.

Cultivation and management

Late figwort can be grown from seed (flowers in third year) or plug material (flowers in second year).

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