Knowledgebase

Compass plant #877742

Asked July 18, 2024, 8:42 AM EDT

Earlier this year, you identified my compass plant (thought it was a fern). Images: One grew to 12’ tall, became floppy after a storm. Four foot of the stalk remains in the meadow.

Talbot County Maryland

Expert Response

Yes, the foliage, blooms, and growth habit does look like one of the Compass Plant species (Silphium laciniatum, specifically). It's a prairie native, growing wild in the central U.S., though might appear occasionally in our area from seed off of another gardener's plant (if you didn't plant any).

Miri
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 18, 2024, 2:39 PM EDT

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