Silphium laciniatum- Compass Plant Green providing excellent late-season interest

providing excellent late-season interest

The flowers mature into delicate oat-like seed heads that attract songbirds late in the season

These flowers provide an important early season nectar source for small native bees

Their especially long taproot makes them long-lived and drought-resistant once established

Silphium laciniatum- Compass Plant Green providing excellent late-season interestCompass Plant was a standout staple of the tallgrass prairie that once covered what is now the state of Illinois, towering above even its tallest neighbors. Its name refers to the north south orientation of its large, rough textured and deeply lobed basal leaves, which can be used to determine cardinal directions. The evolutionary reason for this orientation is to conserve water by shielding the face of the leaves from the hottest rays of the sun.