Louisiana Unicorn-plant

Proboscidea louisianica

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 65%

Height: Up to about 2 feet
Light: Sun
Soil moisture: Dry

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At a glance

Life cycle: Annual
Leaves: Deciduous

Not yet recorded · Spread · Bloom

Recorded in 5 Virginia counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Proboscidea

Manduca sextaCarolina Sphinx, Tomatoe Sphinx, Tobacco Hornworm
Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear

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

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Martyniaceae
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: White, pink, yellow or purple

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “White, pink, yellow or purple” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Height · “Up to about 2 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Leaves · “Deciduous” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Annual” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Sun” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Soil · “Dry” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Soil pH · “Acidic” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Also known as

Devils Claw; Louisiana Unicorn plant; Proboscidea louisianica; Rams Horn; Unicorn Plant

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GU
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources