Hoary puccoon

Lithospermum canescens is in the Borage family (Boraginaceae). The botanical name comes from two Greek words, 'lethos' (meaning 'stone') and 'sperma' (meaning seed). So, it basically means stone seed, which is appropriate since the seeds are very hard and somewhat resemble glossy stones. The specific epithet (canescens) refers to the color of the off-white or ashy-gray hairs found on the leaves of Hoary puccoon.

The word 'hoary' in the common name of Hoary puccoon, refers to the white trichomes on the plant that give it a downy appearance. Puccoon is derived from the Native Americans (Powhatan tribe) who named this plant 'poughkone' as they used the roots to make a red dye.

Hoary puccoon is one of the most uniquely hued wildflowers. Their color varies from nearly yellow to tangerine or soft orange. There really isn't anything else that resembles them in our spring glades, grasslands or woodlands.

The flowers are arranged in racemes and open sequentially from the lowest point to the tip. The flower cluster is curled or 'scorpiod', gradually uncurling as flowers open. Individual flowers are about 1/2 inch in diameter with 5 lobes.

This plant has two forms growing in the same colony. One form of plants have flowers with long styles where the stigma is located well above the stamens. These are termed Pin flowers. The other flowers have short styles where the stigma is well below the stamens. These are termed Thrum flowers.This interesting flower variation is known as heterostyly. Individual plants will have flowers of one type or the other- not both. The flowers of Hoary puccoon can only be pollinated by pollen from the opposite flower type. Thrum flowers must receive pollen from Pin flowers and vice versa. Otherwise they will not set seed. Hence, a plant colony requires both types of flowers to be present for successful pollination and health of the colony.

On top of this challenge, Hoary puccoon flowers produce very few viable seeds. They actually abort late blooming flowers, even if pollinated, in order to preserve energy to mature the seeds of earlier, pollinated flowers. With such a complex reproductive system, it makes sense why it's been so difficult to propagate this species in the nursery trade.

Plants successfully germinated in the greenhouse may survive once transplanted, but they often don't develop into colonies. This problem relates to mycorrhizal fungi in the soil. A beneficial relationship often occurs between plants and mycorrhizal fungi. If the fungi are not available in a new soil, such as that in a restoration environment, plants may struggle to develop into a colony. To read more about these interesting relationships check out this article from the Chicago botanic garden (https://www.chicagobotanic.org/blog/plant_science_conservation/why_pretty_spring_wildflower_so_difficult_grow).

Both stems and leaves of this plant are quite hairy. The many leaves are alternately arranged, oblong or lanceolate and sessile. The stem may be single but mature plants typically have multiple stems. These long-lived plants have an extensive tap root.

Seeds are contained in hard, shiny, nutlets with four nutlets per flower. Initially nutlets are brownish and ripen to white or pale yellow.

Pollinators of Hoary puccoon include various bees such as bumblebees, digger bees, cuckoo bees, and mason bees.(https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/hry_puccoonx.htm).

Numerous butterflies and skippers visit the flowers for nectar.

I enjoy watching other plant visitors such as this lovely Meshweaver spider. It crawled all along the flowers and leaves of this plant hunting for insects and posing for my photography.

On Ozarkedge, I find Hoary puccoon primarily in glade habitat under full sun. Although it prefers full sun, it can tolerate minimal shade at woodland edge. It is also found growing in Prairie habitat. It prefers rich, undisturbed soils making use of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil

Lithospermum canescens has a Conservation Value of 7 in Arkansas, at the top of the group of 4-7 meaning 'Typically matrix taxa in intact, stable habitats, with some limited ability to respond to destabilizing forces and repopulate areas from which they have been extirpated'.

Natureserve shows it as overall Secure but most states within its range across the Eastern United States show No Status Rank. It is considered Imperiled in New York and North Carolina and Vulnerable in West Virginia

This long-lived plant is one of our most drought tolerant due to its long tap root. Hence, it is a terrific choice for xeriscaping landscapes and water-wise gardening. It is also a deer tolerant plant, rarely browsed by deer. However, its flowers are sometimes chewed by various insects.