Culver's Root is a native wildflower that prefers average, medium to wet soil. It is slow to get established in your garden. It is found in open woods, moist meadows and prairies. Flower spikes open from the top down beginning in late spring. Cut the spent flowers to the rosette for possible rebloom in the fall.
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)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 7 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
6-inch lance-shaped leaves in whorls are 1.5 inches wide
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Spikes of 1/4 inch tubular, white to pale lavender flowers open from the top down in late spring to early summer atop strong, upright, branching stems.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Round, smooth stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
Central and Eastern US
Wildlife value
Both long and short tongued bees collect pollen and nectar as do honeybees, bumblebees, mason bees, green metallic bees and masked bees. Other insect visitors include sphecid wasps, butterflies, moths and syrphid flies.
The Cherokee, Iroquois, Chippewa and Menominee Indians used this plant for a multitude of medicines. It is used as an analgesic, cathartic (accelerated defecation), emetic (induces vomiting), treatment for coughs, fevers and rheumatism and to assist with childbirth.