American Columbo is a monocarpic perennial—it can live for decades as a rosette of leaves, then sends up a flower stalk up to 8 feet tall, blooms once, sets seed, and dies.
The massive stalk holds hundreds of star-shaped, greenish-yellow flowers with purple speckles, making it a dramatic prairie and savanna wildflower.
Plants may take 15–20 years to bloom, depending on growing conditions. This rarity makes flowering events spectacular in natural populations.
Roots were used in traditional herbal remedies for fevers, digestive issues, and as a tonic, though the plant is now considered uncommon and not widely used.
Considered rare or threatened in parts of its range, largely due to habitat loss and its extremely slow reproductive cycle.
American Columbo is a monocarpic perennial—it can live for decades as a rosette of leaves, then sends up a flower stalk up to 8 feet tall, blooms once, sets seed, and dies.
The massive stalk holds hundreds of star-shaped, greenish-yellow flowers with purple speckles, making it a dramatic prairie and savanna wildflower.
Plants may take 15–20 years to bloom, depending on growing conditions. This rarity makes flowering events spectacular in natural populations.
Roots were used in traditional herbal remedies for fevers, digestive issues, and as a tonic, though the plant is now considered uncommon and not widely used.
Considered rare or threatened in parts of its range, largely due to habitat loss and its extremely slow reproductive cycle.
Bloom: late spring to early summer
Habitats: limestone and sandstone glades; small meadows in upland wooded areas; upland savannas; upland woodlands; woodland openings
Lifespan: perennial
Moisture: mesic to dry-mesic
Plant type (height): forb (3 to 8 feet)
Requirements: full sun to partial sun
Soil: loamy; rocky; sandy
