White Frostweed, White Crownbeard, Virginia Frostweed, Indian Tobacco, Squawweed, Richweed

Description

In late summer and fall, Frostweed produces large flattened clusters of flowers that are used by a variety of pollinators including bees, migrating Monarchs and other butterflies. This is a relatively tall growing rhizomatous native perennial that will develop into a mass of upright stems and flowers. Frostweed, Verbesinca virginica, is typically found growing in moist to periodically dry soils in partly shaded to lightly shaded sites from the Edward’s Plateau of west central Texas to Florida and as far north as Missouri and Kentucky. Compared to the very similar species Texas Crownbeard, Verbesina microptera, the Virginia Frostweed has fewer ray flowers (or petals) per flower and is considered to be more reliably cold hardy.

The secondary images display why this plant is called ‘Frostweed’. The first hard freeze of winter causes the sap to ooze out in thin curly sheets that often wrap completely around the stem of the plant and may be exhibited all the way up the stem. These images were taken in northern Louisiana in a beautiful hardwood, particularly hilly area in November 2020.