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PlantFiles: Wood Betony, Canadian Lousewort
Pedicularis canadensis

 
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Family: Scrophulariaceae (skrof-yoo-larr-ee-AY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Pedicularis (pe-dik-yoo-LAIR-is) (Info)
Species: canadensis (ka-na-DEN-sis) (Info)

Synonym:Pedicularis canadensis subsp. canadensis

One vendor has this plant for sale.

One member has or wants this plant for trade.

Category:
Alpines and Rock Gardens
Perennials
Ponds and Aquatics

Height:
under 6 in. (15 cm)
6-12 in. (15-30 cm)
12-18 in. (30-45 cm)

Spacing:
6-9 in. (15-22 cm)
9-12 in. (22-30 cm)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Light Shade
Partial to Full Shade
Full Shade

Danger:
N/A

Bloom Color:
Orange
Bright Yellow
Maroon (Purple-Brown)
Brown/Bronze
Cream/Tan

Bloom Time:
Mid Spring

Foliage:
Velvet/Fuzzy-Textured

Other details:
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings

Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)

Patent Information:
Unknown - Tell us

Propagation Methods:
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall

Seed Collecting:
Collect seedhead/pod when flowers fade; allow to dry
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored

By KBlueberry
Thumbnail #1 of Pedicularis canadensis by KBlueberry

By DiOhio
Thumbnail #2 of Pedicularis canadensis by DiOhio

By DiOhio
Thumbnail #3 of Pedicularis canadensis by DiOhio

By DiOhio
Thumbnail #4 of Pedicularis canadensis by DiOhio

By DiOhio
Thumbnail #5 of Pedicularis canadensis by DiOhio

By QueenB
Thumbnail #6 of Pedicularis canadensis by QueenB

By creekwalker
Thumbnail #7 of Pedicularis canadensis by creekwalker

There are a total of 8 photos.
Click here to view them all!

Profile:

1 positive
1 neutral
No negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Neutral tcfromky On Oct 11, 2004, tcfromky from Mercer, PA
(Zone 5a) wrote:

There are a number of folk stories related to its common name, lousewort. It was supposed to breed lice, keep lice away, seeds looked like lice, the leaves looked like they were filled with lice and if livestock ate it they would become infested with lice. Who knows which or if any of those are true. :)

Wood betony is one of the first spring wildflowers on the prairie, in some cases forming dense colonies, providing a most spectacular display.

Positive DiOhio On Apr 27, 2004, DiOhio from Corning, OH
(Zone 6a) wrote:

Wood Betony, or Lousewort, is a native perennial to my area (SE Ohio) and spreads by short horizontal rhizomes. They are semi-parasitic plants that get some of their nourishment from the roots of other plants. I found a large patch of it growing near a power line clearing in the woods. I dug a few and transplanted them to my flowerbeds where they are doing well. The next year the property was sold and half of the wild patch was destroyed by gravel driveway.

It is called Lousewort because of the belief once held by farmers that cattle and sheep became infested with lice when grazing on the plant.

Look at the flowers from above and get a whole different perspective of the plant.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Bay City, Michigan
Erie, Michigan
Saint Helen, Michigan
West Branch, Michigan
Cole Camp, Missouri
Glouster, Ohio
Viola, Tennessee
Shepherd, Texas



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