Cup Plant

 

My cup plant is in bloom.  I was given it by a friend awhile back and I planted it in my 'wild flower' garden.  I put that in quotes since it's just a rectangle back of the house that is bordered by trails.  If I find an interesting plant on my walks or, like this one, am given a native plant this is where it goes.  I put a solar light next to the things I've planted so I can find them in the future.  The cup plant was spectacular the first year it bloomed - must have been eight feet tall,  almost as tall as Maximillian sunflowers.  Then deer found it was yummy and some years all I'm left w/ is a stub.  This year it's only about five feet tall but pretty noticeable so I went out to get a pic.  It's leaves are unique and that's when I noticed there are a bunch of little cup plants establishing themselves in the area.  New York considers the cup plant to be highly invasive but on the other hand Michigan has legally protected it.  It's leaves fold around the stem to make a cup which holds rain water - beneficial to insects and birds.  When it blooms it's a butterfly and bee magnet.  In the winter birds eat the seeds.  I like it because it has all of the benefits of native plants.  It's adapted to our cold temps so no covering it in the fall.  It grows in our acidic soil (actually the plant will grow in most any soil).  It doesn't require fertilizer.  Plus it's drought tolerant and not susceptible to many diseases.  It's a thoroughly likeable plant (no matter what New Yorkers think).