species: Veronicastrum virginicum
common name: Culver's root
family: Plantaginaceae
where & when encountered: Old Westbury, NY - 2013
The white flowers would have been striking enough, but the first time I saw them they were covered with dark bees (below)! Native to the eastern half of the United States, this plant is increasingly popular in the gardening community. Who was Culver? An 18th century frontier doctor who used the roots as a laxative. Modern medicine has since warned against such ingestion.
Are there any in Culver City?
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