Star Seed

Cup plant is a tall perennial native that grows up to eight feet tall.

RANGE & HABITAT: Cup plant ranges from Ontario to South Dakota, South to Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Cup Plant occurs on low ground, in moist areas, along prairie streams, alluvial thickets, floodplains, and along the edges of wet woodlands. This species is found throughout the tall grass region, but more sporadic Northward.

CULTIVATION: Seeds are best sown as soon as they are ripe in a greenhouse. If the seeds are collected in the fall, they should be stratified for twelve weeks and then sown at 24 to 32 degrees for four to eight weeks before being moved to 68 degrees for germination. When the plants are large enough to handle, place them into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

MANAGEMENT: Cup Plant species should be transplanted when they are young. This species does much better when transplanted young because it is very difficult to transplant once it is older due to its extensive root system.

Click here to see the USDA Plant Guide

IMAGE: Douglas Ladd @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln.