top of page

Culver's Root

Veronicastrum virginicum

The Garden Candelabra: Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s Root)


The Snapshot

  • Common Name: Culver's Root, Beaumont Root, Blackroot

  • Scientific Name: Veronicastrum virginicum

  • Origin: Native to Eastern and Central North America (including NJ)

  • Hardiness: Zones 3 – 8

  • The "Vibe": Architectural, stately, and rhythmic; the "elegant backbone" of the late-summer border.

Why It’s a Designer Favorite

Culver’s Root is all about geometry.

  1. Whorled Foliage: Unlike many plants where leaves are scattered, Veronicastrum has leaves that grow in perfect "whorls" (circles) around the stem. This creates a clean, tiered look even before the flowers arrive.

  2. The Flower Spikes: The flowers appear in slender, 6-to-10-inch spikes that branch out like a candelabra. The tiny blossoms open from the bottom up, creating a soft, fuzzy texture.

  3. The Silhouette: It reaches 4 to 6 feet tall but remains very narrow. This makes it the perfect "vertical exclamation point" for gardens with limited horizontal space.

Ecosystem & Wildlife Impact

  • A Pollinator Party: This is arguably one of the most popular plants in the garden for Honeybees, Bumblebees, and Mason Bees. You will often see several different species on a single spike.

  • Butterfly Highway: It is a favorite of the Culver’s Root Borer Moth (a specialist) and a high-value nectar source for Swallowtails and Checkerspots.

  • Seed Source: Songbirds occasionally visit the dried seed heads in late fall.

The Best Varieties for NJ

  • The Straight Species: Features elegant, creamy-white spikes that glow in the dusk.

  • 'Fascination': Known for its unique, "fasciated" (widened) flower spikes that give it a denser, wilder look. The flowers are a lovely soft lavender.

  • 'Lavender Towers': Very tall and very straight, with pale purple spikes that don't flop.

  • 'Apollo': A slightly more compact variety with deep green foliage and bright white flowers.

Designer Tips: Where to Plant

  • The "V-Shaped" Contrast: Plant Culver’s Root behind rounded, mounding plants like Sedum 'Autumn Joy' or Amsonia. The contrast between the vertical spikes and the mounded base is high-level design.

  • The Moonlight Garden: The white species (V. virginicum) is spectacular in the evening light. Plant it where it can be seen from a patio or window at sunset.

  • The Rain Garden: Because it loves moist soil and clay, it is a perfect "anchor" for the middle of a rain garden.

Designer Pro-Tip: Culver's Root is a slow starter. It focuses on its root system for the first year or two, so it may not reach its full height immediately. Once established, however, it is a long-lived, dependable performer that never needs staking if grown in enough sun.


Stories from the Garden

"I have a wet spot in my yard where nothing but weeds used to grow. I planted three 'Lavender Towers' three years ago, and now it’s my favorite part of the garden. The bees are so loud on it you can hear them from the porch! It stands perfectly straight through summer storms. It’s the most sophisticated native I own."

— Sarah K., Zone 6 Gardener

bottom of page