Intro: Erect to sprawling perennial growing in seepages, moist meadows, cove forests and other moist forests.

Stems: Stems arising from tuber-like root, slender and weak (often leaning on other plants), branching, smooth to minutely hairy.

Leaves: Leaves alternate, petiolate, about 4 in. long (and wide), palmately and deeply divided into 3-5 coarsely toothed segments.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in loose panicles from upper leaf axils and stem ends, blue to purple, 1-2 in. long, bilaterally symmetric, consisting of 5 petal-like sepals, the uppermost one shaped like a hood or helmet, that enclose 2 smaller blue petals.

Fruits: Fruit a beaked, ellipsoid follicle.

Comments: All parts of this plant are toxic, and a drug derived from it has been used to treat neuralgia and sciatica.

Height: 2-5 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect to sprawling perennial growing in seepages, moist meadows, cove forests and other moist forests.

stems: Stems arising from tuber-like root, slender and weak (often leaning on other plants), branching, smooth to minutely hairy.

leaves: Leaves alternate, petiolate, about 4 in. long (and wide), palmately and deeply divided into 3-5 coarsely toothed segments.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in loose panicles from upper leaf axils and stem ends, blue to purple, 1-2 in. long, bilaterally symmetric, consisting of 5 petal-like sepals, the uppermost one shaped like a hood or helmet, that enclose 2 smaller blue petals.

fruits: Fruit a beaked, ellipsoid follicle.

comments: All parts of this plant are toxic, and a drug derived from it has been used to treat neuralgia and sciatica.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: southeastern United States