|
CLICK PICTURES FOR LARGER VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Indian Pink is a herbaceous perennial plant that is native to the southeastern U.S. It grows in wooded areas in the spring to a height of about 2 feet. The leaves are opposite. In May, spectacular flowers appear. The tubular upright flowers are bright red with a yellow center with 5 points. The plant is somewhat poisonous. Indian Pink is fairly easy to grow in gardens. An alternate common name is "Pinkroot". The roots, which contain alkaloids, were formerly used for medicinal purposes.
Indian Pink can occasionally be spotted on local hiking trails like the Huntsville Land Trust Alms Trail. The Botanical Garden has large colonies of the plant. The plant starts shooting up in early May and without the bright red blooms it may not be recognized. Images 7 and 8 show the plant forms for pre-bloom identification.
To acquire for home gardens check spring plant sales at the Huntsville Botanical Garden or sales at other wildflower organizations. Occasionally Huntsville Wildflower Society members bring give-a-way plants from their gardens to meetings.
More Indian Pink Images
Return to Late Spring Index
| 
