Common Cup-plant

Silphium perfoliatum

Found in floodplain forests and openings, especially over calcareous substrates; sometimes escaped from cultivation. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 4–8 feet
Spread: 1–3 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Silphium perfoliatum — seed photograph — Photo by Lukas Hummel, in : Ende, L. M., Hummel, L., & Lauerer, M. (2024). Dispersal and persistence of cup plant seeds (Silphium perfoliatum): do they contribute to potential invasiveness?. Plant Ecology and Evolution, 157(1), 75-87. · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: June to September

JFMAMJJASOND

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 7 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Silphium

Eucosma giganteanaGiant Eucosma
Papaipema baptisiaeWild Indigo Borer, Indigo Stem Borer
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

36BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Silphium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

7Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Silphium

Dianthidium curvatum
Dieunomia heteropoda
Megachile parallela
Melissodes dentiventris
Melissodes vernoniae
Melissodes wheeleri
Paranthidium jugatorium

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Flies 8

Anthrax halcyon
Archytas aterrima
Eristalis tenax
Exoprosopa fasciata
Geron rufipes
Milesia ornata
Systoechus vulgaris
Zodion obliquefasciatum

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 9

Anosia plexippus
Atrytone delaware
Limochores taumas
Pholisora catullus
Polygonia interrogationis
Pontia protodice
Vanessa atalanta
Vanessa cardui
Vanessa huntera

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 2

Leionotus dorsalis
Sphex procera

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Asteraceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: Yellow
Growth rate: Rapid
Foliage color: Green

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “June to September” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “4–8 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “1–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Common Cup plant; Cup Plant

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Self-seeds freely. Will freely self-seed in optimum conditions. Tennessee Smart Yards

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Common Cup-plant

At a glance

Natural habitats

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Silphium