White Snakeroot

Plant Info

Also known as:
Scientific name:	Ageratina altissima
Family:	Aster (Asteraceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	shade; thickets, deciduous woods
Bloom season:	summer, fall
Plant height:	1 to 4 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Flat clusters 1 to 2 inches across made up of tiny 1/6-inch white flowers.

Leaves:

Leaves are 2 to 6 inches long with coarse teeth; wide at the leaf base and pointed at the tip.

Fruit:

Flower heads transform to black seeds with silken parachutes attached to carry them away.

Notes:

When I took a walk through the park in mid-September, the woods there were filled with White Snakeroot. It and Canada Goldenrod were about the only things blooming in the woods.

More photos

• full-sized plant, about 4 feet tall

All photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN, July and September 2006.

Comments

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

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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