Wild Quinine
Wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) is a perennial wildflower native to Wisconsin that can reach three feet in height. It has white, fuzzy flower clusters that are about 1/4 inch wide, with tiny ray florets and purple markings on the banner petal. The flower clusters are flat-topped or slightly rounded. The leaves are aromatic, leathery, and hairy, with coarsely toothed or scalloped margins. The basal and lower stem leaves are elliptical to broadly ovate, and taper into long petioles. The upper stem leaves are smaller and sessile, or without stalks. American feverfew grows in dry to medium-wet soils, in full sun or partial shade, in habitats such as prairies, glades, and rocky woods.
Wild quinine is a powerhouse for pollinators. Its dense, pearl-like white flowers bloom from June through September and attract a wide range of native insects. Bees—especially sweat bees, mining bees, and carpenter bees—are frequent visitors, along with flies like soldier flies and syrphid flies, which serve dual roles as pollinators and pest predators. Butterflies such as common wood-nymphs have and pearl crescents also seek nectar from its blooms, and the grapeleaf skeletonize moth is a notable specialist visitor.
This clump-forming perennial grows erect and spreads primarily through rhizomes, though it also self-sows modestly. Its adaptability to various soil types—including clay and sandy loam—makes it ideal for prairie restorations and native gardens. It’s especially valuable in restoration projects for its ability to quickly establish ground cover and suppress invasive species.
---
Let me know if you’d like to adapt this for a specific audience or format—like a field guide entry, educational post, or interpretive sign. (July)