Linaria vulgaris

Butter and Eggs is a flowering perennial plant in the plantain family that is native to Eurasia. It has naturalized in North America and can be found in the Piedmont and mountain areas of North Carolina. Mid-summer to mid-fall the yellow and orange snapdragon-like blooms appear in dense clusters at the top of stems. Some colonies of plants bloom later than others. Many plants in a colony may fail to bloom. The leaves are thread-like and blue or gray-green. Each leaf tapers to a petiole, or stalk-like, base and is attached directly, or sessile. Bees are attracted to the flowers. The common name butter-and-eggs comes from the yellow and cream colors of the flower.

Butter and Eggs prefers full sun, good drainage, dry conditions, and gravelly or sandy soil. Under these conditions, this plant can spread aggressively because of the reduced competition from taller plants with wider leaves. It will tolerate soil with a high pH.

The root system consists of a long taproot and shallow rhizomes that spread in all directions. This plant usually forms clonal colonies by means of its rhizomes and has become invasive in several western states. Roots can extend out 10 feet from the mother plant giving rise to daughter plants along the way. This plant tends to show up in disturbed areas as along roads, railways or after fires as well as in fields, pastures or forest edges. It is difficult to eradicate and is not recommended for home landscapes.

The plant is often used as a source for cut flowers. Similar to Snapdragons, Butter and Eggs is often grown in children's gardens for the flowers which can be made to snap by squeezing them at the base of the corolla.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

Susceptible to aphids and powdery mildew.