prairie wildflower

White-tubed Colicroot

Aletris farinosa

Also known as White Colicroot, Colic Root, Unicorn Root

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Central Massachusetts, southern Ontario and Wisconsin, south to Florida and Texas

In the garden

A prairie wildflower for full sun and dry to moist soil. Its white flowers peak in May. Hardy in USDA zones 4–9.

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Find your zone:

The White-tubed Colicroot's white flowers bloom May to July, peaking in May. This late-spring display draws bees and butterflies.

White-tubed Colicroot blooms whiteFoliage

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Brown-belted Bumble Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee, American Bumble Bee +5 more
Half-black Bumble Bee, Carlin's Mining Bee, Neighborly Mining Bee, Black-and-yellow Nomad Bee, Beardtongue scraper bee
Butterflies Silver-spotted Skipper

also Gray Hairstreak, Wild Indigo Duskywing, Palamedes Swallowtail +2 more
Sleepy Duskywing, Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper
Flower flies Tufted Globetail also Short-haired Leafwalker

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Habitat: PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (28): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV. Canada (1): ON. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Central Massachusetts, southern Ontario and Wisconsin, south to Florida and TexasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Light: Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Dry to moistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 4–9 · Canadian 6–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Moist to dry, sandy soilThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to medium (sandy to loamy)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: AcidicThe acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).

Spread: ~1 ft (0.2 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).