Photos
Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant). This majestic plant can be found in nearly all soil types. The leaves’ edges line up with North and South, thus the name ‘Compass Plant’. The early Settlers used it to guide their way. It has been known to live 100 years!
Compass Plant flowering in August with Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
In July with Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
In August with another majestic Silphium species: Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum)
Quite a vantage point! A Red-winged Blackbird is perched on a bloom. Compass Plant is loved by birds for this reason but also for the seeds in the Fall. (Swamp Milkweed – Asclepias incarnata is the pink flower also in this photo).
Seeds of Compass Plant
Tap root of Silphium laciniatum
