It’s no surprise that the perennial can grow in so many varying climates, when you consider that it blooms in forests and dense urban areas alike. The continental United States is broken into 11 hardiness zones.Ī hardy plant is one that can grow in several zones, while a tender plant is one that can only grow in a small range of zones. Hardiness refers to the ability of a plant to grow in certain climates. The perennial grows in hardiness zones 3-8. White snakeroot is often found growing in areas that have been disturbed, such as now-vacant lots, roadsides, and even powerline clearances. But you’ll definitely find some along waterways and windbreaks in Ohio and Nebraska, or even in dense urban centers like Chicago and New York City. It prefers moist, alkaline soil, so you most likely won’t find it in the deep south. You can find it along shady sidewalks and public parks. Snakeroot is common in suburban and urban areas. The weed does best in shaded areas, such as forests, mountain ranges, and under natural rocks. White snakeroot grows in the eastern half of North America, from southern Canada to northern Texas.
Here’s a great overview of white snakeroot, an important plant you likely have growing in the forests around your homestead. That being said, it can make a delicate addition to any garden, so long as you take caution. However, the perennial is essential to small wildlife, such as bees and birds, even though it has a fatal history with humans.
There are look-alike plants with medicinal and edible properties for which snakeroot can be mistaken. It was once known as Eupatorium rugosum, and it is often still referred to by this name despite now being in the Ageratina genus.Īlthough “weeds” don’t have the best reputation, white snakeroot provides much-needed food and nutrients to foraging insects such as bees who need to plump up before the winter freeze.īut humans should be warier, and the plant had a reputation among Native Americans and English settlers in the eastern United States and Canada as a poison.Īlthough white snakeroot is not popular among foragers, due to its toxicity it is important to be able to differentiate it from other, possibly edible plants. The fluffy white flowers bloom from late July to September. White snakeroot ( Ageratina altissima) is a late-blooming weed that can go largely unnoticed until fall. By Sten Porse – Own photo, taken in Jutland., CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
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