Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’ (White snakeroot)

Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’

White snakeroot, tall boneset, white sanicle

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Ageratina	Snakeroots
Species	altissima	Means "the highest"
Cultivar	‘Chocolate’	Named for the darker foliage

About plant names...

White snakeroot is a member of the sprawling aster family, and a North American native. This cultivated variety, ’Chocolate,’ has darker-tinted foliage.

Identification: Plants are 3-5' (91-152 cm) high, and up to 3' (91 cm) around, with single or multiple stems. Leaves are 2-5" (5-12 cm) long, lance-shaped, and tapering at both ends; lower leaves are broader, more heart-shaped. Each leaf has three prominent veins and serrated edges. Leaf stems (petioles) are ½-1½" (1.3-3.8 cm) long. Flowerheads are somewhat dome-shaped clusters, each with 10-30 white brushlike flowers with no petals. Each flower is about ⅛" (4 mm) around.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones This plant contains tremetol, toxic to people and many animals. Milk from cows that have eaten snakeroot can be poisonous to people as well—this is called milk sickness.

Online References:

Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’ at the Missouri Botanical Garden

Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’ at Illinois Wildflowers

Ageratina altissima on Wikipedia

References:

Newcomb, Lawrence, Morrison, Gordon (Illus.), Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Little, Brown and Company, 1977, p. 434 (listed as Eupatorium altissimum)

Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’ description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

9/7/2010 · Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston, Massachusetts
≈ 16 × 24" (41 × 62 cm)

Range: Zones 4a-8b:

About this map...