Lesser Snakeroot: A Rare Native with Limited Garden Appeal
If you’ve stumbled across the name lesser snakeroot in your native plant research, you’ve discovered one of the more elusive members of the aster family. Ageratina aromatica var. incisa is a perennial forb that represents a fascinating but challenging choice for native plant enthusiasts.
What Is Lesser Snakeroot?
Lesser snakeroot is a herbaceous perennial that belongs to the same genus as the more familiar white snakeroot. As a forb, it’s a non-woody plant that dies back to the ground each winter and returns from its roots in spring. You might also see it listed under its former scientific name, Eupatorium aromaticum var. incisum, in older botanical references.
Where Does It Grow Naturally?
This native plant has a surprisingly limited natural range, appearing only in Florida and Virginia. This restricted distribution immediately tells us something important: lesser snakeroot has very specific habitat requirements that aren’t easily replicated across different regions.
Should You Plant Lesser Snakeroot?
Here’s where things get complicated. While lesser snakeroot is undeniably native and theoretically desirable for native plant gardens, several factors make it a questionable choice for most gardeners:
- Extremely limited information: There’s remarkably little horticultural guidance available for this variety
- Narrow native range: Its presence in only two states suggests very specific growing requirements
- Potential rarity: The lack of readily available information may indicate this variety is uncommon in the wild
- Unknown garden performance: Without established cultivation practices, success would be uncertain
What We Don’t Know (And Why That Matters)
The biggest challenge with lesser snakeroot is the extensive list of unknowns. We don’t have reliable information about its preferred growing conditions, wildlife benefits, wetland status, or even basic details like mature size and growth rate. For most gardeners, this uncertainty makes it an impractical choice.
Better Native Alternatives
Instead of gambling on lesser snakeroot, consider these well-documented native alternatives that offer similar ecological benefits:
- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa): Excellent pollinator plant with known growing requirements
- New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae): Reliable fall bloomer that supports wildlife
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): Drought-tolerant with proven garden performance
If You’re Still Curious
For the truly adventurous native plant collector, lesser snakeroot presents an interesting challenge. However, proceed with extreme caution:
- Only source plants from reputable native plant nurseries
- Ensure any plants are ethically propagated, not wild-collected
- Start with just one plant to test its performance in your garden
- Document your experience to contribute to the limited knowledge base
The Bottom Line
While lesser snakeroot has the appeal of being a native species, its extremely limited range, lack of horticultural information, and uncertain availability make it unsuitable for most native plant gardens. Your efforts are better invested in well-documented native species that offer proven benefits to both gardeners and local ecosystems. Sometimes the most responsible approach to native plant gardening is knowing when to leave the truly rare and specialized species to their natural habitats.
