Capnoides sempervirens

A western North Carolina native perennial, Rock-harlequin will only produce basal rosette foliage in its first year.  It may overwinter as a rosette and flower in the spring.  Starting in its second season it will send up many branched stems that will flower. Flowering can take place from spring to fall, depending on your location.  It blooms earliest in the Appalachians and latest in the western states.

The ability to form the basal rosette allows gardeners to sow their seeds in the late summer, giving them time to germinate and form the basal rosette that will overwinter in the garden and bloom the second year.  The seeds that are left to nature are often spread by ants, which may deem the plant as invasive.  

Plants can vary in size.  They range from short and unbranched to up to 3' tall with many branches.  When fresh plants are observed in the later part of the summer, it very likely that seeds from plants that appeared earlier in the growing season have germinated and matured.

Its natural habitat includes cold winters and cool summers.  It can be found in clearings that have been recently disturbed by man or by wildfires, including dry woods, and rocky ledges, cliffs and other locations that have poor, dry, and gravelly soil.  Harvested forests, right-of-ways and roadsides are also sites where it can flourish.  It is typically found in the New England states, the Great Lakes area and south along the Blue Ridge Mountains into the northwestern portion of Georgia.  It is abundant in Canada, and it can also be found in Alaska.

Although susceptible to wildfires destroying the plant, the seeds will survive.  It can take years for them to germinate.  

This delicate pink flower is a delightful whimsical wildflower that is one to be looking out for along meadows and roadsides. It is a plant that you will want to get your drawing book out and draw its delicate details or capture them in a photo. Whichever you decide, this plant is one to be on the lookout for.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Can be mildly invasive.  Rabbits may browse the foliage.