White Crownbeard
Verbesina virginica
- Native to:
- United States
Mason Brock ( Masebrock (en.wikipedia.org) )
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Verbesina
- Species:
- Verbesina virginica
- USDA Symbol:
- VEVI3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Biennial | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 250 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Cremastobombycia ignota, Cremastobombycia verbesinella, Dichomeris setosella, Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia), orange oakleaf (Charidryas nycteis)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) Moths:Atteva aurea, Black-and-yellow lichen moth (Lycomorpha pholus) Butterflies:Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Dusky-blue Groundstreak (Calycopis isobeon), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus), Julia butterfly (Dione vanillae), Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus), Mestra (Mestra amymone), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus), Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rootstock following fire; commonly found in fire-maintained open woodlands and prairies.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Commonly found in floodplains and moist woodlands
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily after cold stratification; light may improve germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).
Source: Claude AI