Hairy Puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense): orange Minnesota wildflowers

Hairy Puccoon

Plant Info
Also known as:	Carolina Puccoon, Carolina Gromwell
Scientific name:	Lithospermum caroliniense
Family:	Borage (Boraginaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun to part shade; dry; sandy prairies, open woods
Bloom season:	spring to early summer
Plant height:	6 to 24 inches
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park

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Flower:: Flowers are in a (more or less) flat cluster at the top of the plant. Individual flowers are orange-yellow, 1 inch across, and tubular with 5 rounded petal-like lobes that flare out at the end. The edges of the lobes may be a little ruffled or crinkled. The stamen are hidden inside the tube. The bracts at the base of the tube are narrow, about ½ inch long and very hairy. Plants may be branched near the top, with a cluster at the end of each branch.
Leaves and stem:: Leaves are narrow, up to 1½ inches long and ¼ inch wide, bluntly pointed at the tip, with no leaf stem. The texture is slightly rough from short stiff hairs. The main stem is sparsely to densely covered in short bristly hairs. One plant has up to 12 stems; it looks like it grows in a clump
Notes:: Hairy Puccoon is similar to Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens), but Hoary Puccoon has ½ inch flowers, shorter bracts, and longer, softer hairs on the stem.

More orange wildflowers. Photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN May 2008

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?