Hoary Puccoon

by Joshua Heston

A classic glade flower, hoary puccoon tends to stand out amidst the rocks.

The plant, which blooms in spring and early summer, has a rich Native America history.

The word puccoon is an Algonquin word applied to any plant used for dye or paint (Wernett, 422).

The roots give a yellow dye.

Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens)

Size: 4 to 20 inches tall; flower 1/2 inch wide. What to look for: flowers orange to yellow; in flat wands with coiled tips; leaves lance shaped; plant densely covered with gray hairs. Habitat: sandy prairies, fields; open woods. In bloom: April through June.

— page 419, Wernett, Susan J., et al. North American Wildlife. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1986.