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Goldfinches and other birds frequently feed on the nutritious seeds found in cup plant.

Goldfinches and other birds frequently feed on the nutritious seeds found in cup plant.

One of our most interesting members of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) is cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum). Due to its statuesque proportions and its unique structure, it is an amazing resource for wildlife, providing food, water and shelter to a variety of fauna. It is a robust perennial, typically reaching 5 to 8 feet in height.

Cup plant is primarily a Midwestern species, ranging from western Pennsylvania in the east to eastern Nebraska and extending north to central Minnesota and south to central Mississippi. It occurs in several habitats, many of which are associated with rivers and streams. In east central Indiana it is often found in floodplain woods where it associates with other robust perennials including green-headed coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) and wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia). It is also found in groundwater seepage areas in partial shade with swamp aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum), swamp goldenrod (Solidago patula), white turtlehead (Chelone glabra), and great angelica (Angelica atropurpurea). Further west, it is a frequent member of riparian prairies and prairie streambanks.

Cup plant is unique among composites in having a square stem, a trait typically associated with the mint family. The rough-textured leaves are opposite and joined at the base to form a cup that gives the plant its common and Latin name. The leaves are typically about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. The cup formed at their base collects rainwater and dew, providing birds and other wildlife a source of water.

The flowers of cup plant bloom in July and August. Their yellow rays make the flower up to 4 inches across. They resemble their close relatives, the true sunflowers in the genus Helianthus, however they differ in only forming the seeds in a ring around the edge of the floral disk rather than across the entire disk. Like sunflowers, the seeds contain a large edible kernel. Goldfinches and other birds frequently feed on the nutritious seeds. The seeds are also consumed by rodents including tree squirrels, chipmunks and white-footed mice.

Many species of pollinators visit cup plant including butterflies such as monarchs, tiger swallowtails, and a variety of skippers. The flowers are also very popular with a variety of bees including bumblebees, honeybees, leafcutter bees and long-horned bees. A peculiar insect commonly called the sunflower head-clipping weevil often snips that developing flowers just below the bud and lays its eggs on the withering bud which is left dangling from the stem. The damaged flower eventually drops to the ground where the insect pupates and emerges the following spring.

Cup plant is easily cultivated in moist soil and partial to full sun. It is very robust and aggressive in cultivation, freely self-sowing into adjacent landscape beds. Therefore, it is best utilized in a naturalized setting with other robust native perennials of prairies and floodplains.

Kevin Tungesvick is a lifelong resident of Madison County. An avid naturalist and self-taught botanist, Kevin is author of a floral inventory of Mounds State Park. He is a founding director of Heart of the River Coalition.

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