Veratrum viride
green false hellebore
Overview
Veratrum viride is a robust herbaceous perennial in the bunchflower family, growing 2-7 feet (0.6-2 m) tall from a thick, vertical rhizome. Stout, unbranched stems are clothed in large, alternate, strongly pleated leaves 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) long, broadly oval and clasping the stem in three ranks. In early to midsummer the stem ends in a branched panicle 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) long of star-shaped flowers, each 0.5-1 inch (1.2-2.5 cm) across with six yellow-green tepals. The plant emerges early in spring as tightly rolled shoots, expands through summer, and dies back to the rhizome by autumn. All parts contain steroidal alkaloids including veratridine and cyclopamine; ingestion causes vomiting, a slowed heartbeat, and a sharp drop in blood pressure in humans and livestock. These alkaloids are responsible for repeated livestock poisonings on mountain pastures, and the early shoots have been mistaken for edible plants. It grows in wet meadows, seeps, stream banks, and swamp forests across northern and montane North America. The species is slow to establish from seed, often taking several years to flower, and forms long-lived clumps that spread by short rhizomes. Foliage can scorch in dry, exposed sites.
Native Range
Native to North America, ranging across Canada and the northern and montane United States, from Alaska and the Maritimes south through the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. It grows in wet meadows, seeps, swamps, and stream banks.Suggested Uses
Grown in bog gardens, rain gardens, pondside plantings, and moist woodland edges for its bold pleated foliage. It suits naturalistic wetland schemes where its toxicity poses no risk to people or livestock. The early foliage forms a coarse-textured mass before other wetland plants emerge.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2' - 7'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Star-shaped yellow-green flowers open from June to August in a tall, branched terminal panicle, the lower branches drooping. Flowering plants may skip years between blooms. Capsules ripen in late summer and split to release winged seeds.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight