Ageratina altissima
White Snakeroot
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Clusters of white flowers bloom in late summer through fall, attracting bees and butterflies.
Description:
Clusters of white flowers bloom in late summer through fall, attracting bees and butterflies. Dark green heart-shaped leaves grow on long stems leading up to the flower umbels. Snakeroot prefers part shade but will also tolerate heavy shade, as well as sun. It grows best in moist, humus-rich soils, but does well in dry soils. In the wild, Snakeroot occurs in woodlands, woodland edges and rocky areas. It can spread aggressively through underground rhizomes and self-seeding. White Snakeroot contains the toxin tremetol, which is toxic if ingested, making this plant deer resistant. Add it too your native woodland or along shady borders mixed within your other fall blooming perennials.
Wildlife Value: Snakeroot is one of our latest blooming natives, offering much needed nectar to bees, butterflies and moths preparing to overwinter or migrate. The leaves are food for several butterfly and moth caterpillars.
Plant Details:
Other Scientific Names: Eupatorium rugosum
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Summer to Fall
Bloom Colors: White
Deer Resistance: High
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies
Salt Tolerance: Unknown
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist, Wet
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Partial Shade
Light Range: Partial Shade, Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist, Wet
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 3 - 5 ft
Spread: 2 - 4 ft
Growth Rate: Medium-fast