In its natural setting, Virginia Meadow beauty can be found growing in wetlands, wet meadows, bogs, seepage slopes, and open sandy locations. Taller plants will sprawl along the ground while shorter ones will stand erect. It grows from an underground tuber and will spread rapidly. Makes an attractive appearance in the garden with its pink flowers with contrasting yellow anthers. Blooming typically takes place in late summer and lasts for approximately one month. The bloom time is dependant on the zone where planted. After blooming and autumns arrival, the seed capsules turn red, adding to the plants' attractiveness. The capsules remain through the winter. It can be propagated by seed. After the green fruit turns a copper color, dries out and becomes brittle the seed will be mature. Store the seed in a sealed container and refrigerate. Stratify for 2 to 3 months at 40 degrees. The plant will typically reseed itself. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Frequently damaged by deer.
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.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The simple or branched 4-sided stem has narrow wings. Along the central stem, there are 1 to 3 inch oval to egg-shaped opposite leaves with small bristly teeth on the margins. Each leaf is 1 1/4" wide.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Clusters of 1 in. widely spread bright purple-pink flowers have a glandular, hairy calyx tube, 4 sepals united to form an urn-shaped to vase-like tube with four lobes at the summit. The flowers open in the morning and often drops petals by mid-day. Flowers bloom from May to October.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit detail
The urn-shaped green fruit displays from July to November. When ripe, the color will become copper in color, dry out and become brittle as the seed mature.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
This plant is typically unbranched with the exception of the apex where a few lateral stems are produced with flowers. The central stem is light green to purple-green with glandular hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Canada to Central & Eastern U.S.A
Distribution
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN TX, VA, VT, WI, WV
Wildlife value
This plant attracts bees, moths, butterflies, and other pollinators. Deer will frequent this plant. The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators
Play value
Attracts Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Naturalized Area; Pond; Slope/Bank; Small Space; Walkways; Woodland