Aletris farinosa
(Colicroot)

Other pictures of this plant:


               Seedpod                                           Leaf                                            Stem                                        Seed                                          Habit

Facts About this Plant:

    Common Names: Colicroot, Unicorn Root, True Unicorn, Crow-Corn, White Colicroot, White Stargrass
    Lifespan: Perennial
    Zones: 4 - 9
    Type: Forb
    Bloom Time: May - August
    Status: Native
    Range:

Aletris farinosa, or Colicroot, is native to most of the eastern United States. It grows in moist sandy areas, in open meadows, prairies and also along woodland edges. It blooms in mid summer. The rosette of leaves at the bottom is evergreen.

There are five species in this genus. This is by far the one with the widest distribution and the only one found in the north. The others are southern species; one, Aletris bracteata is only in one county in Florida. The others are in the southeast: Aletris lutea and Aletris aurea are yellow, so easily distinguished from this. The other, Aletris obovata, also has white flowers, but they are shorter and globe-shaped. The flowers superficially resemble the orchids in the Spiranthes genus, but the leaves are much different and so is the blooming time.

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