(Silphium laciniatum ‘Compass Plant’)
Compass Plant is a native perennial flower that grows in glades and prairies throughout the southeastern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 4-10' and features a thick hairy stem, 18” deeply divided lower leaves that get smaller as they progress upwards, and 5” yellow sunflower-like flowers with a yellow center. This plant can be grown in a large container, attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, it's both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, resists deer, self-sows, and is used as a cut flower!
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General Information
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Germination
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Seedlings
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Care
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Seed Saving
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Companion Planting
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Uses
Genus: Silphium L.
Species: compositum
Variety: Compass Plant
Native Range: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
Ease of Growing: Moderate.
Grown as: Perennial
Maturity (Blooms): Fall
Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Medium
Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Attracts a number of important pollinators, including a variety of native bees and several types of butterfly, including the Monarch butterfly. Locate this towering plant behind shorter wildflowers.
Height: 4-10'
Spacing: 15-24”
Sow Depth: On soil surface
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: a thick hairy stem, 18” deeply divided lower leaves that get smaller as they progress upwards, and 5” yellow sunflower-like flowers with a yellow center.
Compass plant is drought-tolerant but benefits from occasional watering, especially during hot weather. Be aware that the compass plant can become top heavy, especially when planted on windy slopes.
Native American uses: The pounded root of compass plant was used by the Pawnees to make a tea for “general debility”. This tea was also used by the Santee Dakotas to rid horses of worms and by the Omahas and Poncas as a horse tonic (Kindscher, 1992). The Indian children of several tribes used the resinous sap as a chewing gum to cleanse their teeth and sweeten their breath. Preparations from compass plant were used by nineteenth century doctors as an antipyretic, diuretic, emetic, expectorant, tonic, styptic, antispasmodic, and stimulant and for their diaphoretic properties (Kindscher, 1992).
Wildlife: Birds and small mammals eat the seeds (Art, 1991). In grasslands, devoid of woody species, the compass plant provides a sturdy perch for prairie songbirds. Eastern kingbirds use the compass plant as a perch to locate and capture grassland insects (Platt and Harder, 1991).
Suggested Varieties
(Dalea purpurea ‘Purple Prairie’)
Purple Prairie Clover is a native perennial flower that grows in prairies throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 1-3' and features tiny purple flowers that grow densely on a cone-like head. This plant fixes nitrogen, attracts bees and butterflies, provides forage to birds and livestock, is edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, and is used as a cut flower!
(Helianthus annuus ‘Autumn Beauty’)
Only a few left!
Autumn Beauty Sunflower is a native annual flower that grows in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 5-6' and features hairy stems & heart-shaped green leaves, and 4-6” yellow, orange, red, bronze, or mahogany flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, makes dye, and is used as a cut flower!
(Helianthus annuus ‘Velvet Queen’)
Velvet Queen Sunflower is a native annual plant that grows in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 3-4' and features hairy stems, hairy heart-shaped dark green leaves, and 4-6” flowers in shades of bronze, red, and mahogany with dark centers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, and makes dye!