Leaf
Salicyna, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cup plant
Silphium perfoliatum L.
Family: Asteraceae
1.50 to 2.50 m tall
Damp meadows, back of the garden border, energy crops
Flowering: July – September
Full sun
Part shade
-30°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its leaves, fused around the stem, form a small natural cup that holds rainwater, hence its common name 'cup plant'.
🍃 Leaves
Large opposite leaves fused at the base around the stem, forming a small cup that holds rainwater
🌸 Flowers
Large yellow flower heads resembling those of the sunflower, grouped in loose corymbs
🍎 Fruits
Flat brown achenes
🪵 Bark
Upright, square, sturdy stems, almost woody in cross-section by the end of the season
🗺️ Distribution
Native to eastern North America; absent from the wild flora of France, grown in gardens and in agriculture.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Large flower heads very rich in nectar, heavily visited by bees, bumblebees and butterflies all summer.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Back of the border, flowering hedge, naturalistic gardens; imposing silhouette, sometimes also grown as an energy crop.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No notable known toxicity.
🌿 Other Asteraceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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