Nursery News: Indian Physic

Having a new plant species to fawn over at the nursery is always fun. We carry over a hundred species of native plants, and they each have their own unique spot in a native garden ecosystem. Last week, we highlighted a new prairie grass we’ll be growing (Prairie brome/Bromus kalma), and this week, we’ll talk about Indian Physic (Porteranthus stipulatus). We often get asked about deer and/or rabbit-resistant plants, and this is one! The foliage is toxic to mammalian herbivores, so they leave it alone.

Indian Physic is a low-growing forb in the rose family (Rosaceae), and its delicate white blooms show the resemblance. Planted en masse, these plants would be quite a sight. Their beautiful fall color—a muted yellow-orange—bookends their spring blooms. 

This plant grows around two feet tall in medium-dry to medium-wet soils in full or partial sun. A woodland edge would be a perfect location for Indian Physic. It would be right at home among Eastern Columbine and American beak grass. Its fall foliage would contrast wonderfully with the fall blooms of a partial-shade-loving aster like Short’s or Sky Blue Aster. 

The spring blooms of Indian Physic are full of nectar and pollen, attracting many often-overlooked native bees. Resin bees, leaf cutter bees, and mason bees love this plant. These gentle native bees allow you to get close enough to observe their feeding habits and generally sting only if handled. If you’ve never seen a leaf-cutter bee in action, you may want to plant Indian Physic for that experience alone. Butterflies, skippers, and bee flies also utilize this plant for food. 

We plan to have Indian Physic available for sale soon. Starting mid-May, you can schedule nursery shopping dates and/or place a plant order for pickup at the DRL nursery.