Cup Plant

Here's a native wildflower with a simple name derived from a simple trait: the Cup Plant. They get their name because, similar to a cup, the leaves near the stem are shaped in a way that they can hold water. After a rain it's likely that your Cup Plant will have a little reservoir of water contained in these leaves.

Like many of our wildflowers, Cup Plants are in the aster aka daisy aka sunflower aka composite family of plants. And like many other plants in this family, they're popular both with pollinators as a nectar/pollen source but are also beneficial to seed-eating animals like some of our birds. 

And like many wildflowers, these guys can get big and can crowd out smaller, wimpier flowers. You may not want to plant them near showier, wimpier garden flowers. Having said that, as native plants that are prone to being eaten, I've never seen them form a monoculture in any field/meadow.

August 16, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 152591927, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

In this second picture, you can see how the leaves form a little recessed area near the stem that could contain water. Apparently birds and insects looking for water will sometimes get a drink from them.

August 16, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 152591994, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)



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