Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum): Architectural Native Perennial

Overview

Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum), also called Bowman's root or black root, is a stately native perennial of eastern North American prairies and woodlands. Its tall, candelabra-like spikes of white to pale lavender flowers provide vertical architecture in the summer border.

Botanical Description

Clump-forming perennial 1.2–2 m tall. Leaves in whorls of 3–7, lanceolate, 5–15 cm long, dark green. Flowers are tiny, tubular, white to pale pink/lilac, densely packed in slender, terminal spikes (racemes) 15–30 cm long, blooming July–August. The overall effect is a elegant, branching candelabra.

Taxonomy

Family:	Plantaginaceae
Genus:	Veronicastrum (ver-on-ee-KAS-trum)
Species:	virginicum (vir-JIN-ih-kum)
Synonym:	Veronica virginica

Growing Conditions

• Light: Full sun to part shade.
• Soil: Moist, rich, well-drained; tolerates clay.
• Water: Consistent moisture; not drought-tolerant.
• Hardiness: USDA zones 3–8.

Garden Uses

Back of border, meadow gardens, rain gardens, native plantings. Combines with joe-pye weed, ironweed, coneflowers, and grasses. Provides winter structure if stems left standing. Long-lived and low-maintenance.

Notes

Named for Dr. Culver, 18th-century physician who used the root as a cathartic. The root is toxic in large doses. RHS Award of Garden Merit. Cultivars: 'Fascination' (lavender-pink), 'Album' (white), 'Apollo' (dwarf).