Wildflower Alert: Yaupon Blacksenna …………..

By | September 14, 2018

Submitted by Eleanor Dietrich

 

Yaupon Blacksenna

 

We have two species of Blacksenna that grow in our area. The species pictured here (Seymeria cassioides, with smooth petals) grows in damper areas and the Piedmont Blacksenna (Seymeria pectinata) has hairy petals and grows in drier areas.

 

The flowers on both are yellow. The plants are bushy and can grow up to three feet tall and be covered with flowers.

 

The plants are partially parasitic on the roots of pine trees.

 

They are also one of the larval host plants for the Buckeye butterfly.

 

They bloom in September and October and can be seen along the roadsides.