prairie dock
Silphium terebinthinaceum
USDA zones4 to 8
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size3 to 10 feet tall1 to 3 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) is a perennial for borders, pollinator gardens, and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to wet, loamy or clay soil. Bright yellow flowers attract bees and birds from stalks that rise 3 to 8 feet above huge, spade-shaped leaves. Rabbits tend to pass it by. The name rosinweed comes from the resin it exudes when injured.
Pairs well with Little bluestem, Blue wild indigo, and Blue-eyed grass.
Native range
Central-eastern Canada to southeastern United States.