Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)

Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) 

Wild Quinine can reach four feet in height. Its white, fuzzy flower clusters are about 1/4 inch wide, each made of tiny disk florets with minute ray florets around the edge. The clusters form flat-topped to gently rounded heads. The leaves are aromatic, leathery, and hairy, with coarsely toothed or scalloped margins. Basal and lower stem leaves are elliptical to broadly ovate and taper into long petioles, while the upper stem leaves are smaller and sessile, sitting directly against the stem.

Wild Quinine is a high-value midsummer nectar source for native bees, including small sweat bees, mining bees, and soldier beetles. Its dense flower clusters offer many small florets that open over time, extending nectar availability during dry periods. The plant’s deep, fibrous root system also stabilizes soil in open prairies and savannas, making it a reliable species in restoration plantings.

Sources:

Illinois Wildflowers — Parthenium integrifolium (Wild Quinine)

USDA NRCS PLANTS Database — Parthenium integrifolium Profile

Missouri Botanical Garden — Parthenium integrifolium Plant Details

Prairie Moon Nursery — Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Parthenium integrifolium (Wild Quinine)

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