Discoveries Out and About: White Lettuce ~ Prenanthes alba

White Lettuce ~ Prenanthes alba
Other Common Names: Rattlesnake Root, Lion's Foot

I found a single plant of this perennial native flowering at my local park. Five feet tall, it was growing in a shady, low lying location in an oak woodland.

The nodding flowers are light pink to white with light purple bracts arranged in clusters. The clusters arise from the alternating leaf axils.

According to Wildflowers of Wisconsin, White Lettuce prefers dry woodlands and is often found in rocky soil.

The leaves change from a simple lance shaped leave near the top to a more deeply lobed leaf at the bottom of the plant.

Bareroot plants and seed are available from Prairie Moon Nursery.

Have you seen White Lettuce flowering in your area?

White Lettuce is native to northeastern North America. See map below.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.