Perennial; blooms early May. Grows up to 2 ft tall. Deep-rooted. Lower leaves blue-green and lance shaped; upper leaves have two lobes clasping the stem. Many white flowers with four petals, giving plant a white, flat-topped appearance. Three known species, lens-podded, globe-podded, and heart-podded whitetop, identified by different shaped seed pods. Plants usually die back to roots in summer as…

Fleshy, blue-green leaves form tight spirals around spreading, prostrate stems with bright yellow-green, showy bracts surrounding inconspicuous flowers in early spring. A white, milky sap (latex) is found when any part of the plant is broken. The latex is toxic and may cause severe dermatitis, burns and/or blisters in sensitive people. Prefers dry, well-drained soils in part to full sun; it is a…

Perennial; blooms midsummer. Grows up to 7 ft tall. Upright bushy plant. Flowers pink to purple, possessing 5-6 petals and numerous on a long spike. Spreads by seed and spreading rhizomes that form dense, woody mats. Its showy purple flowers crown a vigorous plant that crowds out marsh vegetation required by wildlife for food and shelter. Decreased waterfowl and songbird production has been well…