Tennessee Starwort is a North Carolina native perennial that can be found in moderate to high elevation forests, particularly where the soil is rocky, as well as in bottom lands, slopes and pastures. It flowers in April through June, however, the plants begin to wither by late May into June. The fruits appear after flowering. Tennessee Starwort has a spreading growth habit and spreads by rhizomes.
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.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The veined leaves are opposite, with two leaves per node running along the stem.
Flower color
White
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers are symmetrical, meaning that there are at least two ways to evenly divide the flower, Its white flowers are deeply cleft, making its 5 petals appear to be 10 petals. It can bloom from April to June.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Displays from May to July. It will split open when ripe.
Stem detail
The erect stems are branched. Alternating lines of soft hairs originating from the glands.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
United States
Distribution
AL, IN, KY, NC, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV
Wildlife value
Host plant of the Pegomya flavifrons (fly). Birds are attracted to the seeds.