Agerantina altissima-White snakeroot

Description

This plant was recently considered a Eupatorium, but it has since been moved to its own genus due to several distinctions. It likes to grow in moist to dry woods; I don’t see it here in southern Maine, but I run across it from time to time growing in the lower to mid elevation areas of the White Mountains. Has an affinity towards limey, rich soils. This plant is considered poisonous, which surprised me a bit, as most asteraceous (that is, plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae) plants are pretty benign when it comes to toxicity. White snakeroot contains the chemical tremetol which causes “milk sickness”.

When cows eat this plant the toxin accumulates in their meat and milk, humans become sick when they consume these products. Wikipedia states “During the early 19th century, when large numbers of European Americans from the East, who were unfamiliar with snakeroot, began settling in the plant’s habitat of the Midwest and Upper South, many thousands were killed by milk sickness.” (Huh, who would of thought?) Despite this nefarious dark side, it is still a wonderful and unique plant for our shade gardens; don’t use it on your salad and don’t let Bessy the cow feed on it and you’ll be okay. For me, unique plant chemistry adds to the allure of each plant’s identity.

2 gal size,$18.00 (Seed grown, MOFGA certified organic.)