The Carnivorous Cup Plant!
July 14, 2010 by Becky
Filed under Species and Product Overview, What's blooming?
The Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) is starting to bloom now. We’ve had a very wet, hot summer so far here in Southeast Minnesota and the Cup Plant is responding wonderfully! It’s a unique native plant for many reasons and I feel it deserves more attention!
Cup Plant is so named because its large broad leaves form a “cup” where they attach to the square stem, making it readily recognizable should you happen upon it–even before it is blooming. These cups catch and retain rainwater for insects, birds and small mammals. Cup Plant can also be considered “carnivorous” then because it absorbs the insects that drown in its cups! This towering plant with sturdy stems also makes a great perch for birds in the summer and fall.
Standing tall at around 7 feet (more in wetter soils, less in drier soils), its yellow blossoms can be seen starting in July when the butterflies visit them. Later, when it goes to seed, the birds will seek it out and feed on its seeds. Cup Plant is easy to grow in average garden soil and in heavier or wetter soils. It can be readily started from seed by fall-planting outdoors or, if planted indoors or in the spring, a period of 60 days of moist, cold stratification is recommended prior to sowing.
We have some great photos to share:
This majestic plant looks beautiful as a tall, backdrop plant in a landscaped setting or as a staple in a medium to medium-wet prairie planting. It tolerates a fair amount of shade and thrives in full sun.
The Cup Plant flower is typical of many Silphium species such as Compass Plant, Rosin Weed, and Prairie Dock. Most Silphium species are easy to start from seed and are long-lived perennials.
A close-up photo of the “cup.” It catches water easily for insects, birds and small mammals to drink. It also acts as a pool to drown small insects and then absorb the nutrition from their decaying bodies.
The Cup Plant flower is a favorite of butterflies because it is rich in nectar. When it goes to seed, birds will flock to it for its tasty seeds, filling up to store fat for their long winter migrations.
