Xerophyllum asphodeloides (Linnaeus) Nuttall. Common name: Turkeybeard, Beargrass, Mountain-asphodel. Phenology: May-Jun; Jul-Aug. Habitat: Dry ridges and slopes in the mountains, primarily in dry, strongly acidic sites which burn periodically, such as pine/heath woodlands and forests, heath balds, and xeric oak forests, most of the populations in the Blue Ridge Escarpment, often associated with Pinus rigida or P. pungens, disjunct to similar sites on quartzite monadnocks of the upper Piedmont, in the Coastal Plain in acidic pinelands, and rarely in montane bogs. Distribution: In two disjunct areas; the Coastal Plain of s. NJ and DE, and the Southern Appalachians from w. VA and e. WV south to e. TN, w. NC, nw. SC, ne. GA, and ne. AL.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Synonymy ⓘ: = C, F, FNA26, G, K4, NS, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WV, Zomlefer (1997a). Basionym: Helonias asphodeloides L. 1762
Links to other floras: = Xerophyllum asphodeloides - FNA26
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Heliophily ⓘ: 7
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.
© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Edwin Bridges | Original Image ⭷
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Jim Fowler | Original Image ⭷
© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷
© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷Feedback
See something wrong or missing on about Xerophyllum asphodeloides? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months. If a species is not keyed, that's because keying is ongoing. Please don't send us feedback about unkeyed species.
Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect perennial from a clump of grass-like leaves, found on dry ridges and slopes, primarily strongly acidic sites that burn periodically, such as pine/heath woodlands and forests, heath balds and xeric oak forests.
Stems:
Leaves: Basal leaves linear, to 30 in. long and arching from crown; stem leaves alternate, similar but progressively smaller upward.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in a compact, cylindrical terminal raceme that elongates with age, blooming from the bottom up, white, ½ in. or less wide, consisting of 6 widely spreading, lance-shaped tepals and 6 stamens encircling an ovary.
Fruits: Fruit a 3-lobed capsule.
Comments:
Height: 1-4 1/2 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect perennial from a clump of grass-like leaves, found on dry ridges and slopes, primarily strongly acidic sites that burn periodically, such as pine/heath woodlands and forests, heath balds and xeric oak forests.
stems:
leaves: Basal leaves linear, to 30 in. long and arching from crown; stem leaves alternate, similar but progressively smaller upward.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in a compact, cylindrical terminal raceme that elongates with age, blooming from the bottom up, white, ½ in. or less wide, consisting of 6 widely spreading, lance-shaped tepals and 6 stamens encircling an ovary.
fruits: Fruit a 3-lobed capsule.
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range:
0 unsaved edits on this page.