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Tephrosia virginiana Tephrosia virginiana
Viola sororia Viola papilionacea
Viola striata Viola striata

Piedmont Barbara's Buttons Marshallia obovata

Phonetic Spelling
mar-SHALL-ee-uh ob-oh-VAY-tuh
Description

Flowering stems, appearing in spring, are up to 2 feet tall. This plant is native to the southeastern piedmont, grows in clumps, and is found in open woodlands and along roadsides throughout the southeast. It is good for rock gardens and in the front of beds.

This plant was selected as the 2009 NC Wildflower of the Year, a program managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • Marshallia obovata var. obovata
Marshallia obovata var. obovata
Tags:
#full sun tolerant#white flowers#NC native#summer flowers#native garden#border planting#spring interest#pollinator plant#NC Native Pollinator Plant#butterfly friendly#partial shade tolerant#Audubon#NC Wildflower of the Year#wildflower
 
Marshallia obovata
Marshallia obovate bloom detail Debbie Roos
Form in the spring in Moore County
Form in the spring in Moore County Susan Strine CC BY 2.0
Marshallia obovata in the late summer in Moore County
Leaves in the late summer in Moore County Susan Strine CC BY 2.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • Marshallia obovata var. obovata
Marshallia obovata var. obovata
Tags:
#full sun tolerant#white flowers#NC native#summer flowers#native garden#border planting#spring interest#pollinator plant#NC Native Pollinator Plant#butterfly friendly#partial shade tolerant#Audubon#NC Wildflower of the Year#wildflower
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Marshallia
    Species:
    obovata
    Family:
    Asteraceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    SE USA
    Distribution:
    Open woodlands and along roadsides throughout the SE
    Play Value:
    Attracts Pollinators
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    Heat and d
    Edibility:
    no
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Native Plant
    Wildflower
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    Less than 12 inches
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Summer
    Fruit Description:
    Displays from May to June
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Head
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Crown
    Tubular
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    White blooms are in clusters atop their straight stems. Blooms from April to May
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Rosulate
    Leaf Shape:
    Oblong
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Description:
    Long narrow green leaves form a flat evergreen rosette.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Meadow
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rock Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Hummingbirds
    Pollinators
    Songbirds