Iodanthus pinnatifidus
(Blue Rocket)

Other pictures of this plant:


               Seedpod                                           Leaf                                            Stem                                        Seed                                          Habit

Facts About this Plant:

    Common Names: Blue Rocket, Purple Rocket
    Synonyms: Hesperis pinnatifidus, Iodanthus hesperidioides, Thelypodium pinnatifidum
    Lifespan: Perennial
    Zones: 5 - 8
    Type: Forb
    Bloom Time: May - June
    Status: Native
    Range:

Iodanthus pinnatifidus, or Blue Rocket, is native to the south-central United States, up into the Great Lakes area. It grows in moist open woods, as well as woodland edges. It blooms in late spring and early summer, with small four-petalled blue-purple flowers.

This is the singular species in its genus; it is superficially similar to many other plants in the mustard family, but it can be easily distinguished in bloom by its blue-purple flowers, whichis quite unusual for this family, which normally has white or yellow flowers, or sometimes pink. There seems to be two forms of the plant, one that has smooth, untoothed leaves, and one that has toothed leaves, with crinkly leaf surfaces.

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