Golden Colicroot is a native herbaceous perennial in the Nartheciaceae family found in pine savannas, seepage bogs, and pine flatwoods in the coastal plains and sandhills. In North Carolina it is mainly found in the southern half of the Coastal Plain and the Sandhills, extending northward to the northeastern edge of the Piedmont. Its native range is Virginia, south to Florida, and west to Texas. Golden Colicroot prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade. It does well in moist to wet, soil and is often an indicator of a swampy or boggy site. The bell-shaped flowers are yellow to orange and occur in clusters at the top third of the stem. The leaves are in a rosette at the base. The plant is difficult to maintain in cultivation and is rarely offered for sale. The NC Native Plant Society does not recommend this plant for home gardens. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The thin leaves are oval to lance-shaped and 4-8 inches long and a basal rosette forms at the base of the stem. The leaves are veined, but not needle-like or scaly.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme; Spike
Flower shape
Bell; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Spike of golden yellow to orange tubular 6-petaled small 1/4 inch flowers bloom from May to July. Flowers are campanulate, more than 2 times or less as long as broad, with erect lobes. The tepals (petals and sepals) are golden yellow in color and have a “mealy” surface.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Fruit displays in August.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern and south central U.S.A.
Distribution
AL , AR , FL , GA , LA , MD , MS , NC , OK , SC , TX , VA
Wildlife value
This plant attracts butterflies and other pollinators.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Uses (ethnobotany)
Aletris root is used in herbal medicine to treat stomach problems such as colic, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and upset stomach.