Starry Rosinweed

Description

Botanical Name:  Silphium asteriscus

Common Name:  Starry Rosinweed

Description: Starry rosinweed is a robust wildflower that occurs naturally in flatwoods, sandhills and disturbed areas. Its bright showy flowers attract a variety of butterflies, native bees, and other pollinators. Birds will eat its seeds. It quickly grows 2-5′ tall x 1-2′ wide. It grows best in moderately dry to moist, well-drained, loamy or sandy soils, in sun, part sun, or part shade areas of your garden. Starry rosinweed is especially loved because it blooms over a long period of time: early spring into fall. It’s a perennial, so it will die back in the winter. The leaves and stems may stay intact through the winter though. Although its natural range is the west side of the peninsula, it performs well throughout much of the state. It is a prolific seeder and will typically self-seed if allowed, although seed collection is also easy (simply remove the dried, dead flowerheads). Has a high drought tolerance once established. Is moderately deer resistant.

Flowerheads are large — up to 2½ inches in diameter. They are composed of many bright yellow ray florets surrounding a center of yellow to green disk florets. Flowerheads are born on branched stems and supported by an involucre of large bracts. Leaves are lanceolate with toothed margins and rough surfaces. Arrangement is opposite to alternate. Seeds are born in winged achenes.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.

This plant in 1-gallon containers is 1-3′ tall.

Plant Lore: The common name “rosinweed” refers to the gummy or resinous substance found in the stems. Native Americans chewed stems to clean their teeth. Rosinweeds have a long history of medicinal uses in North America and Europe.

Florida Hardiness Zones 8 – 10