Nabalus albus (White Rattlesnake-root)
| Also known as: | White Lettuce, Lion's-foot |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Nabalus |
| Family: | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Life cycle: | biennial, perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | part shade, shade; dry to moist soil; woods, thickets, jack pine stands, wetland edges, bluffs, rocky shores |
| Bloom season: | August - September |
| Plant height: | 1 to 5+ feet |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | GP: FACU MW: FACU NCNE: FACU |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
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Detailed Information
Flower: 
![[photo of flowers]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pd/prenanthes-alba-7543-14.jpg)
Branching clusters of nodding, stalked flowers at the top of the plant and arising from leaf axils in the upper half of the plant. Flowers have 8 to 14 white to pale pink rays (petals) that have a few teeth at the tip; when fully open the flower is bell-shaped, ~½ inch diameter. The styles are as long as or longer than the rays and have divided, curled tips. Surrounding the base of the flower, forming a tube, are 2 sets of bracts. The outer bracts are short, triangular and green; the inner bracts are dull pink to purplish, lance-elliptic, blunt to pointed at the tip and up to ½ inch (10 to 13 mm) long. Bracts are hairless except for a minute fringe along the edges.
Leaves and stem:
![[photo of leaves]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pink/white-rattlesnake-root_0906_115600.jpg)
Leaves are alternate and highly variable in shape. Lowest leaves are largest, up to 12 inches (30 cm) long, to 7 inches (18 cm) wide and often lobed in 3 to 5 parts, becoming smaller, more triangular, diamond shaped or oval as they ascend the stem. Surfaces are mostly hairless, sometimes hairy on the underside; edges are mostly irregularly toothed. Leaf stalks are mostly shorter than the blade and narrowly winged. Stems are single, erect, hairless, unbranched except in the flowers, and often purplish or purple spotted.
Fruit:
![[photo of fruit]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pink/prenanthes-alba-white-rattlesnake-root_0926_163914.jpg)
Fruit is a brown seed 3.5 to 6 mm long, linear to elliptic, with a tuft of cinnamon or rusty colored hairs to carry it off in the wind.
Notes:
White Rattlesnake-root, a.k.a. Prenanthes alba, is common throughout most of Minnesota and can be found in a variety of habitats, from shady woods to swamps and fens to bluffs and the rocky north shore of Lake Superior. Habitat can greatly affect its form; the most robust plants I've seen have been in the partial shade of moist to mesic woods, while those along Lake Superior were dwarf by comparison with relatively small leaves more uniform in shape.
The flower shape is similar to other Nabalus species, but N. albus is distinguished by its branching clusters of dangling white to pinkish flowers with hairless, purplish inner bracts, smooth stem and (typically) variable leaf shapes. By comparison, both Purple Rattlesnake-root (Nabalus racemosus) and Rough Rattlesnake-root (N. asper) have more slender, spike-like flower clusters and hairy floral bracts. A fourth species, Nodding Rattlesnake-root (N. crepidineus), rare in Wisconsin and only reported from a single location in Minnesota over 100 years ago, is more like N. albus in form but has yellow flowers and hairy floral bracts.
Note the genus has gone back and forth between Nabalus and Prenanthes; since 2010 Nabalus has more often been the accepted genus.
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More photos
White Rattlesnake-root in woodland habitat
White Rattlesnake-root plant in rocky habitat
more flowers
lower leaf variation
lower leaf variation
arrowhead shaped leaves emerging in spring
White Rattlesnake-root in woodland habitat
White Rattlesnake-root plant in rocky habitat
more flowers
lower leaf variation
lower leaf variation
arrowhead shaped leaves emerging in springPhotos by K. Chayka taken in Lake and Ramsey counties. Photos by Peter M. Dziuk taken in Winona County.
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2009-08-30 06:58:47
Mississippi River mile 711, on edge of friend's property. There are three plants that I have discovered.
on: 2010-09-18 20:09:01
A single plant along a narrow trail through heavy buckthorn, blooming Sepetember 18th, 2010.
on: 2012-08-11 23:36:29
Seen plants in wooded area along the Crow Wing River. Plant is quite nice when in flower.
on: 2012-08-22 21:33:01
I have watched two plants grow from early spring onward and am happy to conclusively identify them.
on: 2014-08-31 18:01:09
Saw for the first time yesterday in UNCAS Dunes SNA.
on: 2015-08-01 14:00:16
A beautiful specimen can be found along Woodland Avenue (by the University) in a wooded area along the sidewalk. This is a beautiful plant. It has taken me over a month to identify it, but now that it is starting to flower, my quest to identify the plant has become easier.
on: 2015-09-23 21:40:37
I bought this plant two years ago from Mississippi Coop in their native plants section! It came up this summer in my north facing shady garden and is nearly 4 ft. tall with tons of flowers on it. I just identified what it is in Northland Wild Flowers by Moyle and Moyle.
on: 2016-08-12 11:41:47
Found several plants along Little Otter road.Have been watching the plant all summer waiting for the blossoms to identify
on: 2016-08-19 13:12:08
I was researching Rattlesnake Root because it just popped up in my wildflower garden. I was thinking it might be invasive so was checking on line and this site came up. Happy to be here. And now happy to know I have a desirable beautiful new blooming plant. The leaves are so interesting; huge and distinctive! i identified it using the book What's Doing the Blooming by Clayton and Michelle Oslund, author and photographer couple who live in Duluth. Thank you for this great web site. Will be using it a lot now.
on: 2016-09-02 20:26:08
Two plants in my short and restoration
on: 2016-09-05 16:28:31
It is flowering now, in September. So glad to know it is a desirable plant. I see it on the edge if the woods.
on: 2017-08-24 10:11:08
Found one in our yard/woods today--what a joy! Twice in 20 years I've seen one along the Root River Trail, but this is the first one here.
on: 2017-08-31 14:01:04
Found several plants...apx 12...one area about 50 ft. diameter...just starting to flower out...orchid area...prairie remnant...just love early fall...they are competing with small aspens...sure hope Mn Dot takes care of those aspens.
on: 2017-09-12 08:29:54
Found one plant flowering on edge of small woods near lake. I could not identify until this website. This is a great website that I will use from now on when a flower has me stumped.
on: 2018-09-02 20:32:10
Full of pretty blossoms on Sept. 1, 2018. I've been walking this road for 28 years and just noticed them blooming. Very pretty.
on: 2020-08-07 16:21:04
Found one plant in flower along Lester river trail while hiking in Lester river park on August 7 2020.
on: 2020-08-31 07:47:31
Along Plantation Road close to Birch Lake on our cabin road.
on: 2020-09-26 12:53:08
I found a White Rattlesnake Root near the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities metro area. I identified it using the Eloise Butler plant guide at: https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/archive/archplantcommon.html
on: 2021-03-22 10:38:33
on 3/20/21 a small white flower (1/2 " in dia. 5 petals no leaves showing) was blooming in wild flower garden.
on: 2021-03-25 09:47:05
Edwin, it is unlikely that small white flower you saw in March belonged to white rattlesnake-root, which doesn't bloom until late summer.
on: 2021-05-19 16:31:29
These plants are growing on my property near Big Sandy Lake. They are multiplying, but slowly.
on: 2022-09-06 19:05:43
In six years, this is the first time I've seen this plant. I discovered it in a rocky area with lots of leafy matter, about 40 feet from our lake home at the top of a 25 foot rise from Lawrence Lake.
on: 2023-08-16 16:00:19
Blooming on August 16
on: 2023-08-31 19:55:03
Saw a plant in bloom august 24, 2023
on: 2023-09-03 18:49:07
I found this plant growing on the powerline of a friends house in mountain iron Minnesota.
on: 2024-07-03 14:52:22
2 plants popped up in my vegetable garden. I'm going to have to pull them out.
on: 2024-08-23 20:39:53
A few specimens in south unit of Wabu Woods SNA, east side of Itasca Co. 62.
on: 2024-09-02 17:02:45
Individual plants were growing along the Brule River in Judge Magney State Park. BUT we really enjoyed seeing them while hiking the Grand Portage trail. Love the website!
on: 2024-09-07 19:41:05
Found one plant in full bloom, on the edge of our hillside, mostly shaded, by the edge of the woods. Such a beautiful and interesting plant.
on: 2024-09-11 18:25:38
Growing on shore of Lake Superior