White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

from $4.00

In the 1800s, settlers who drank milk from cows that ate White Snakeroot suffered from “milk sickness,” a sometimes fatal illness. Abraham Lincoln’s mother is believed to have died from it.

The entire plant contains tremetol, a toxin harmful to livestock and humans. Despite its beauty, it’s a plant to admire, not consume.

This perennial often spreads by rhizomes, forming dense colonies that stabilize soil in woodland habitats.

Early settlers believed it could cure snakebites—hence “snakeroot”—but that was purely folklore; in reality, the plant is poisonous.

Size:

In the 1800s, settlers who drank milk from cows that ate White Snakeroot suffered from “milk sickness,” a sometimes fatal illness. Abraham Lincoln’s mother is believed to have died from it.

The entire plant contains tremetol, a toxin harmful to livestock and humans. Despite its beauty, it’s a plant to admire, not consume.

This perennial often spreads by rhizomes, forming dense colonies that stabilize soil in woodland habitats.

Early settlers believed it could cure snakebites—hence “snakeroot”—but that was purely folklore; in reality, the plant is poisonous.

Bloom: late summer through the fall

Habitats: bluffs; fence rows with woody vegetation; overgrown vacant lots; moist to slightly dry deciduous woodlands; partially shaded to shaded seeps; powerline clearances in woodlands; shady corners of pastures and yards; woodland borders; wooded meadows along rivers

Lifespan: perennial

Moisture: moist to slightly dry

Plant type (height): forb (1.5 to 3 feet)

Requirements: partial sun to full shade

Soil: clay-loam; loam