Common Name: Cup Plant

General Information

Silphium perfoliatum is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a fibrous rootstock, it produces a basal clump of leaves in its first year of growth, in following years also producing flowering leafy stems 75 - 300cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is receiving increasing interest (as of 2017) as a biomass crop and is also often grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern and central N. America - North Dakota to Ontario and Vermont, south to Texas, Alabama and North Carolina

Habitat

Rich woods, thickets, river banks and prairies[]. Wet prairies, open forests, and river bottoms at elevations of 50 - 500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Silphium perfoliatum is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -30°c when fully dormant[].
Succeeds in any ordinary garden soil[]. Prefers a deep moisture retentive moderately fertile soil that is not too nitrogen rich, succeeding in full sun or dappled shade[]. Prefers moist, rich soils, but tolerates some drought once established[].
Plants have a deep and extensive root system which makes transplanting difficult.
An aromatic resin exudes from the crushed leaves and stems[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - harvested in Spring and cooked as greens[].

A gum obtained from the plant has been used for chewing, and is said to help prevent vomiting[].

Medicinal

Cup plant was employed medicinally by several native North American tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism.

A decoction of the root has been used to treat the stoppage of periods, and also to treat morning sickness and to prevent the premature birth of a child[]. In view of these conflicting uses, it is best that it is not used by pregnant women unless under the guidance of a qualified practitioner[].

The root is alterative, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hepatic, stimulant, styptic and tonic. It is used in the treatment of liver and spleen disorders and has also been used to treat morning sickness[, , ]. A decoction of the root has been used internally in the treatment of back and chest pain and lung haemorrhages[].
A decoction of the root has been used as a face wash to treat paralysis[]. A poultice of the moistened dried root has been applied to wounds to stop the bleeding[].

A gum obtained from the plant has been used for chewing, and is said to help prevent vomiting[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Silphium perfoliatum is easily cultivated as a crop, grows well on poor and degraded land, and is able to produce a considerable amount of biomass. It is being trialled (2017) as a potential source of material for biogas production. It has similar yields to Maize (Zea species), and because it is a perennial, requires much less work after its first year of establishment[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse[]. Stored seed responds better if given a 12 week cold stratiification pror to sowing[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring[]. This is very difficult due to the deep and extensive root system.