North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Veronicastrum virginicum

Veronicastrum virginicum (L.) Farw.

culver’s-root, culver’s root

Synonym(s): Leptandra virginica

Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s-root)

Image ID: 19171
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: VEVI4
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Veronicastrum virginicum
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-09-24

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: VERON2
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Veronicastrum
GENUS AUTHORITY: Heist. ex Fabr.
GENUS COMMON: Veronicastrum
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of ca. 20 species, herbs, of e. North America and e. Asia.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Freeman in FNA (in prep.); Pennell (1935)=P.

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: SCROPH
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Scrophulariaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Figwort Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: There is now overwhelming evidence that the Scrophulariaceae as traditionally constituted includes disparate components and requires dismantling (Olmstead & Reeves 1995; Young, Steiner, & dePamphilis 1999; Albach, Meudt, & Oxelman 2005; Sch�ferhoff et al. 2010, and others). Based on molecular analysis, Young, Steiner, & dePamphilis (1999) suggest that Scrophulariaceae, Antirrhinanthaceae, and Orobanchaceae be restructured to include the current members of Orobanchaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Callitrichaceae. Beardsley & Olmstead (2002) suggest that Mimulus and Mazus be included with Phryma in a redefined Phrymaceae. Additional changes have been suggested, as summarized below and reviewed and discussed by Sch�ferhoff et al. (2010).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Pennell (1935)=P; Sch�ferhoff et al. (2010); Olmstead & Reeves (1995); Young, Steiner, & dePamphilis (1999); Olmstead et al. (2001); Beardsley & Olmstead (2002). [also see LINDERNIACEAE, MAZACEAE, OROBANCHACEAE, PAULOWNIACEAE, PHRYMACEAE, and PLANTAGINACEAE]

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect perennial of stream banks, bogs, wet meadows and dryish soils in areas with prairie affinities.
STEMS: Stems branched above in inflorescence, smooth or hairy.
LEAVES: Leaves whorled, short-petioled, lance-shaped to oval, to 6 in. long, toothed, smooth above and very hairy beneath.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in several crowded, erect spikes at tips of branches, resembling a candelabra; white (rarely pink-tinged); to 1/4 in. long; bilaterally symmetric; tubular, with 4 tiny corolla lobes and 2 protruding stamens bearing orange or brown anthers.
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 2-4 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Whorled
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Bilateral (Zygomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: June-September

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
					x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x		x				x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Bogs/pocosins, Bottomlands
NATIVE RANGE: eastern North America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Culver’s-root is a splendid perennial with glossy dark green foliage that looks good throughout the growing season. The graceful upright terminal racemes of white flowers in late summer are a bonus. Culver’s-root may be planted either as a specimen or in groups. It grows naturally in bogs, wet meadows and stream banks of the North Carolina mountains. However, this southeastern native perennial will be quite happy in the average growing conditions in a cultivated garden too.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE: 2, 4
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
3645	1991-0331			View
6746	1996-0404			View
8989	1993-0061	0000-00-00	1658	View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
1272	HORT	2005-10-26	Bryan	View
1658	HORT	1993-05-05		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
5945	3645	27	NCBG staff	1991-04-12	View
7138	8989	11	NCBG staff	1993-06-09	View
9521	6746	9	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
9522	6746	115	NCBG staff	1967-12-01	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: VEVI4
USDA Common Name: Culver's Root
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (MB, NS, ON)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FACU	FAC		FAC	FAC

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

2018 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina

NHP ID	S RANK	ROUNDED S RANK	G RANK	ROUNDED G RANK	STATE STATUS	FEDERAL STATUS
17780	S2?	S2	G4	G4	W7

This information is derived from the 2018 North Carolina Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species.

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Veronicastrum virginicum
COMMON NAME: Culver's-root
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, FNA, G, GW, K1, K2, Mo, P, Pa, RAB, S, Va, W, WH3, WV]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Sep.
HABITAT: Streambanks, bogs, wet meadows, dryish soils in areas with prairie affinities.
COMMENTS: VT west to MB, south to nc. and nw. GA, w. FL Panhandle (Escambia County), and LA. Populations seem to be of somewhat sporadic or irregular appearance from year to year.
RANGE MAP: Veronicastrum virginicum.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Scrophulariaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Figwort Family)
SUMMARY: There is now overwhelming evidence that the Scrophulariaceae as traditionally constituted includes disparate components and requires dismantling (Olmstead & Reeves 1995; Young, Steiner, & dePamphilis 1999; Albach, Meudt, & Oxelman 2005; Sch�ferhoff et al. 2010, and others). Based on molecular analysis, Young, Steiner, & dePamphilis (1999) suggest that Scrophulariaceae, Antirrhinanthaceae, and Orobanchaceae be restructured to include the current members of Orobanchaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Callitrichaceae. Beardsley & Olmstead (2002) suggest that Mimulus and Mazus be included with Phryma in a redefined Phrymaceae. Additional changes have been suggested, as summarized below and reviewed and discussed by Sch�ferhoff et al. (2010).
REFERENCE: Pennell (1935)=P; Sch�ferhoff et al. (2010); Olmstead & Reeves (1995); Young, Steiner, & dePamphilis (1999); Olmstead et al. (2001); Beardsley & Olmstead (2002). [also see LINDERNIACEAE, MAZACEAE, OROBANCHACEAE, PAULOWNIACEAE, PHRYMACEAE, and PLANTAGINACEAE]

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Veronicastrum Heist. ex Fabr. (Veronicastrum)
SUMMARY: A genus of ca. 20 species, herbs, of e. North America and e. Asia.
REFERENCE: Freeman in FNA (in prep.); Pennell (1935)=P.

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Veronicastrum virginicum in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Veronicastrum virginicum in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Veronicastrum virginicum in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Veronicastrum virginicum in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Veronicastrum virginicum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Veronicastrum virginicum

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 19171 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 19171 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 61025 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)