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Facts About this Plant:

Lithospermum caroliniense, or Carolina Puccoon, is native to most of the central United States, and is also in parts of the eastern US. It grows primarily in dry fields and meadows, but can also be found in open woods and woodland edges, and along railroads and roads. It blooms in mid summer, with orange-yellow flowers, trending more yellow than orange.

This species is very similar to its cousin, Lithospermum canescens, and while the two look very similar, and also grow in the same type of habitats, there are some important differences. On the whole, Lithospermum canescens is a smaller plant. It has smaller flowers and a shorter stature, while its cousin can get almost twice its height. Even its seeds are noticeably smaller. Additionally, Lithospermum canescens typically has oranger flowers, while Lithospermum caroliniense tends to have yellower flowers, but this is not a reliable way to tell them apart. Lithospermum canescens blooms earlier in the season, often in late spring, and it also has soft hairs on its leaves, which are somewhat shorter and more rounded; Lithospermum caroliniense on the other hand, blooms in mid summer, usually late June to mid July, and it has stiff hairs that can hurt to the touch rather than feel soft, and it is usually a much taller plant, with leaves that are rounded, but taper to more of point than Lithospermum canescens. See photo for comparison.

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