Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens)
Photo by Leticia Provencio
Hoary Puccoon’s early‑to‑mid spring bloom provides nectar and pollen for emerging native bees, including small mining bees and early solitary species that depend on dependable spring forage. Its tubular, bright orange‑yellow flowers are especially attractive to long‑tongued bees, which can easily reach the nectar at the base of the floral tube. Because it thrives in thin, sandy, or rocky soils where other plants struggle, hoary puccoon helps stabilize fragile ground and supports early‑season insect activity in habitats that might otherwise be sparse.
Hoary puccoon is a native, perennial wildflower in Wisconsin. It grows to a height of six to 12 inches. The flowers form in flat clusters that are two to three inches across. The 1/2‑inch flowers are orange to yellow in color, each with five petals that form a small tube at the base. The plant has narrow, 1/2‑ to one‑inch long, hairy leaves. It grows in dry, sunny, rocky soils in prairies and along roads.
Sources:
USDA Forest Service — Lithospermum canescens Plant Guide
Illinois Wildflowers — Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens)
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Lithospermum canescens Species Profile
Prairie Moon Nursery — Hoary Puccoon: Habitat, Bloom Time, and Pollinator Use
UW–Madison Extension — Pollinator Support in Early‑Season Native Plants
(EW)