Yellow fumewort is an annual in the poppy family (Papaveraceae) native to the eastern United States and is found in flood plains along open woods, on slopes, in glades and on outcrops over mafic rocks. It can be found in western NC and the Piedmont up to the edge of the coastal plain. It is a pioneer plant and requires disturbances such as flooding to create its desired habitat. It is threatened in some areas, such as Michigan, due to habitat loss. Yellow fumewor grows 4 to 12 inches tall in an erect to decumbent form with stems that branch from the ground. It prefers high pH humus-rich well-drained soils in partial shade to shade and will readily reseed. The tubular yellow flowers appear above the basal leaves in late winter to early spring and are followed by a pod-shaped capsule. After forming seeds, the plant then dies to the ground, often by May. Use this plant in a native woodland or shady garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 4 in. - 1 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 8 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed; Prostrate
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Greenish-gray basilar compound leaves are up to 3 inches long and two inches across, with two leaflets and small lobes. The stem leaves are similar but smaller.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers are yellow and tubular, with the upper petal toothed and turned upward. Flowers are 1/3 to 1/2 inch long and occur in terminal racemes.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The green capsules are tubular pods with black seeds
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The flowering stalks are pale green to pale reddish green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern United States
Distribution
AL , AR , CT , DC , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: ON