Thaspium trifoliatum
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- THAS-pee-um try-fol-ee-AH-tum
- Description
-
Purple Meadow Parsnip is an herbaceous perennial in the Apiaceae (Carrot) family native to eastern North America from Minnesota to New York south to Texas and Florida with concentrations found in the Mississippi River valley. Its name means three leaves or leaflets. Two varieties of this species occur in North Carolina: T. trifoliatum var. trifoliatum (with maroon flowers) and T. trifoliatum var. aureum (with golden yellow flowers).
The Purple Meadow Parsnip prefers moist soil. It can be grown in clay, sand, loam and slightly rocky soil of any pH. It is typically found along stream banks, in woodlands or rocky slopes in moist, well-drained soil in full or part shade. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks.
It works well in a pollinator garden, native or wildlife garden but it can be difficult to source at a nursery.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
Quick ID
- Striking reddish-purple flowers
- Three leaves or leaflets
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- var. aureum
Golden Yellow Flowers
- var. aureum
- var. aureum
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- var. aureum
Golden Yellow Flowers
- var. aureum
- var. aureum
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Thaspium
- Species:
- trifoliatum
- Family:
- Apiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern North America
- Distribution:
- AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant supports Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) larvae which appear between April and October and have one to two flights in the north or three flights in the south. Adult Black Swallowtail butterflies feed on flower nectar from thistles, milkweed and red clover.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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-
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 Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Schizocarp
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Small, winged fruits about 1/8 in. in length in the shape of an ellipse. Each fruit consists of a pair of carpels that each enclose a single seed.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Umbel
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small reddish-purple in compound umbels 1-3 inches wide. Each compound umbel has 6-12 rays that terminate in small umbellets of flowers. The rays are light green to pale purplish green, grooved along their upper sides, and glabrous. Each umbellet has 5-12 rays about 1/8 in. long that terminate in individual flowers. Each individual flower is very small, about a 1/10 in. across, consisting of 5 reddish-purple petals that fold inward.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Basal leaves are heart-shaped and stem leaves are divided trifoliate, toothed and ovate 2" long and half again as wide. Both the basal leaves and the stem leaves are alternate and have upper and lower surfaces that are green and glabrous.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Ridged stems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
