Family
Liliaceae
Botanical Name
ALETRIS obovata
Plant Common Name
Colicroot, Southern Colicroot
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
A rather diminutive rosette of bright green leaves is overlooked until the southern colicroot produces a tall flower stem by late spring. This herbaceous perennial is native to the American Southeast, from southernmost Mississippi to northern Florida's and southern Georgia's Atlantic coast. It naturally grows in moist pinelands, damp grasslands and roadside ditches. Up until the 19th century, roots of these plants were dug up and used as medicine to treat colic.
The leaves arise from the ground to create a basal rosette of attractive light to medium green leaves. Leaf blades are blunt-end lances with parallel veins, revealing its common bond to members of the lily family. Flowering occurs from mid-spring to perhaps midsummer at the very latest. A thin, upright flowering stem (called a scape) juts up from the rosette center. In the upper third of the scape, tiny tubular white flowers open from the bottom up in the spike. The blossoms may be edged in orange or orange-pink. Each blossom looks mealy and there are six tiny lobes. In fact, the genus name Aletris comes from the Greek word, which means "miller of corn." Insects pollinate the flowers, leading to small gray-silver fruits with seeds inside.
Although not usually grown in contrived gardens, conserve a stand of southern colicroot on your property. The plants prosper in moist to wet sandy soils that have some organic matter and are acidic in pH. Use this wildflower as a vertical companion to pitcher plants or Venus flytraps in a bog garden.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
10 - 6
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USDA Hardiness Zone
7 - 9
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Plant Type
Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade
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Height
8"-16" / 20.3cm - 40.6cm
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Width
4"-8" / 10.2cm - 20.3cm
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Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
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Native To
United States, Southeastern United States, Asia
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White, Orange
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Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
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Fruit Color
Light Blue, Silver
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Light Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Light Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Light Green
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Bog Garden, Wildflower
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Self-Sowing
Yes
