Plant of the Week By Sarracenia Chapter of FNPS Water Cowbane
Water cowbane (Tiedemannia filiformis) displays its large white flower clusters in shallow freshwater wetlands in late summer and early fall. The flat clusters, called umbels, have a common center and equal length stalks. Each 1-2’-wide umbel has 12-22 smaller clusters (umbellets) with up to 25 dainty white flowers apiece. The blooms of water cowbane attract eastern black swallowtail butterflies. The eggs they lay become caterpillars that feed first on the flowers, and later the leaves. Water cowbane grows 3-5 feet tall in full sun in wet organic muck. Also called water dropwort, this long-lived perennial with a tap root is native to the southeastern US. It occurs throughout Florida in freshwater marshes, bogs, wet prairies, wet flatwoods, along small streams, and in roadside ditches. The pond at Sopchoppy Depot Park has many.