Posted by
Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 2, 2014 8:24 PM concerning plant:
Veronicastrum virginicum has special value to native and honey bees, attracting leafcutter, rustypatched bumble, sweat, yellowfaced, longhorned, and green sweat bee species.
This plant also supports conservation biological control by attracting beneficial insects to the garden, including syrphid flies and bee flies, as well as thread-waisted and great golden digger wasps. These beneficial insects consume a variety of common garden pests.
Posted by
ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Feb 20, 2018 2:15 PM concerning plant:
This is one of my favorite perennials that is easy to grow, neat & clean, and very reliable. Its native range is from New England to southern Manitoba down to eastern Texas to northwest Florida. Its wonderful multiple white spikes bloom about 3 or 4 weeks and are visited by many bees, wasps, butterflies, and other pollinators. It is easy to divide and reset with its fibrous root system. When the clumps get big and old, the stems can lodge over some. Almost all native nurseries sell some, and some larger, diverse conventional nurseries also sell some. It is not common in most yards or landscapes, though it is used in native prairie and meadow restorations and in naturalistic landscapes. It does make a good addition to any perennial garden or landscape.
Posted by
jmorth (central Illinois) on Feb 20, 2018 7:17 PM concerning plant:
This Illinois wildflower is a tall (up to 6 ft.), graceful plant found in open woods and moist prairies throughout the state, Dense clusters of flowers reside atop branching candelabra-looking flower stems. Stamens protrude a bit beyond the petals and make a noticeable visual impact. Culver's Root blooms June through September.The finely toothed leaves, up to 6 inches long and an inch wide, grow in whorls up the stem. Native Americans and early doctors employed it in various medical applications from fevers to venereal diseases,
