Oops!

White Snakeroot Leaves

Sorry 'bout that folks.  I posted some wrong info in my last entry.  Thank goodness I've got a good Native Plant Mentor who helps to keep me from spreading misinformation.  It turns out that the plants I labeled as Boneset aren't that at all.  They are White Snakeroot.  When Jan Hunter saw my error shortly after the posting, she quickly notified me. (jh: In your blog: I believe what you are calling Boneset is actually White Snakeroot: Ageratina altissima var. altissima ).  Had I taken the time to check one of the wildflower guides , I might have avoided this embarrassment.  Looking closer now, I can clearly see the differences documented in the wildflower guide.  For one thing, Boneset leaves have almost no stem if any at all.  The leaves go all the way to the main stalk.  In some varieties they even wrap around the stalk, making it look like the stalk is growing right through the leaf.  In contrast, the White Snakeroot leaf has a stem nearly an inch long. But I sure was puzzled how she was able to easily see the error by looking at that distant, fuzzy picture.  I just had to know.  Running down to the nursery to get some other plants, I posed the question to her.  "Habitat, habitat, habitat" was her answer.  She just knew that Boneset doesn't grow in a large group in a shady environment.  But White Snakeroot does.  Thanks Jan.

White Snakeroot blooms