Rattlesnake Root is a perennial wildflower and herb. Its leaves that emerge in the spring are often deeply lobed or with indistinct spear-like lobes at the bases. The leaves at the base attach to the stem as a long stalk-like structure. Somewhat resembling a stalk of celery. The upper leaves are progressively smaller in size, less lobed and have shorter stalks. It can typically be found growing along stream banks, wet and bottomland forests, bluffs, shaded ravines, swamps, seeps, sandy woodlands. Sugar Maple, American Basswood and American Beech are often present as canopy trees in the growing areas. Deer will browse, preferring this plant over others.
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)
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate; Entire; Lobed; Undulate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves vary in shape, they may be triangular, heart-shaped, lobed or entire. Has milky sap in stems and leaves. Orange-brown tufts of hairs. The leaves yellow with age.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; White
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Trumpet
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
A cluster of 5 to 6 nodding, greenish-white or yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers. A series of short, smooth bracts tops a series of longer bracts.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene; Capsule
Fruit detail
Seeds with white tufts of hair.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Erect greenish-purplish.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Canada to U.S.A
Wildlife value
Bumblebees suck nectar from the flower heads and cross-pollinate them. Halictid bees, beetles and other insects feed on the pollen but do not pollinate.