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Taenidia montana

Previously known as:

  • Peucedanum pseudotaenidia
  • Pseudotaenidia montana
Phonetic Spelling
tay-NID-ee-uh MON-tah-nuh
Description

Taenidia montana, or Mountain Pimpernel, is a rare herbaceous flowering perennial in the carrot family native to Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland and often found in shale barrens, open woodlands, and dense hardwood forests. It has a narrow range and is very habitat specific (that is, shale barrens) and, while its future appears to be stable, only a few plants are found at various sites; thus, in some of those states, it is listed as threatened or endangered. It is not commonly found in cultivation. The plant produces showy yellow blossoms in the summertime and is said to emit a rather unpleasant, anise-like, odor.

Mountain Pimpernel does best in peaty woodland soils that are shallow to deep and stony and/or loamy and in locations with surrounding shade or filtered sunlight in dry to medium water conditions. It will tolerate close to full shade, but prefers part shade and dry soil conditions. Established plants have good tolerance for drought.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

No known diseases or insect pests.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#herbaceous#summer flowers#rare#perennial
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#herbaceous#summer flowers#rare#perennial
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Taenidia
    Species:
    montana
    Family:
    Apiaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland
    Wildlife Value:
    attracts butterflies
    Dimensions:
    Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Multi-stemmed
    Maintenance:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Schizocarp
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    Flattened, wingless, longitudinally-ribbed fruits (each to 1/6 of an inch long).
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Umbel
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    Produces yellow flowers from June to August unaffected by summer heat. Tiny flowers (to 1/8 of an inch across) bloom in open airy umbels (3 to 7 inches across). Each large umbel consists of about 10-16 small, long-stalked, well-spaced umbellets.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Obovate
    Ovate
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Compound leaves whose dull green leaflets have entire margins. Long-stalked lower leaves (to 12 inches long and to 6 inches wide) are double to triple compound in groups of 3 to 5 leaflets, whereas the upper leaves are single to double compound in groups of 3 leaflets. Upper leaves sheath the stem. Ovate to elliptic leaflets typically grow to 1 inch long and to 1/3 of an inch wide.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    smooth, glaucous, green to reddish-brown stems
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought