Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Family Asteraceae
Cup plant waters the wildlife it feeds: its paired leaves fuse around the stem into little basins that catch rain, and birds and bees line up to drink and bathe. Above them, yellow sunflower blooms run from summer into fall, and goldfinches mob the seed heads after.
This is a prairie titan, 6-8 ft of bold architecture for the back of a big meadow planting or a wild corner with moisture to spare. It isn't a plant for tidy beds — it's a plant for feeding a neighborhood. Give it room and it gives everything back.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Fast growth
Native to North America
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing cup plant? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries cup plant — Silphium perfoliatum, print Nº 145, “Cup Plant.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what cup plant actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-9Cup Plant · Common problems
Common cup plant problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Cup Plant · Growing & propagation
Growing cup plant
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Moderate-High
Soil- Rich, moist · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- Leave standing for winter birds; cut in spring
A towering native prairie giant with a party trick: its paired leaves fuse around the square stem to form little cups that hold rainwater — drinking and bathing stations for birds and beneficial insects. Yellow sunflower blooms feed bees, and goldfinches swarm the seed heads. Big and bold — give it room at the back of a large bed or meadow.
Spacing- 2-3 ft
How to plant & propagate cup plant
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Cup Plant · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Cup Plant · Yearly calendar
The cup plant year, month by month
Jan
PruneDecember to May
BloomPruneBloomJuly, then September to November
PruneDecember to May
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Cup Plant · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Silphium perfoliatum
Cup Plant in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees, Birds
Habitat- Prairie/meadow
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
- Origin
- Native to North America
What cup plant is grown for
✓ Commonly eaten
Use- Bird water/seed
- Use
- Prairie giant
- Use
- Pollinators
- Use
- Native
Harvesting & storing cup plant
Seeds are premier goldfinch food.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Cup Plant · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a cup plant variety
Species
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Silphium perfoliatum
- Plant family
- Asteraceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial
- Origin
- Native to North America
- USDA plant symbol
- SIPE2
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Cup Plant questions, answered straight.
Is cup plant safe for kids and pets?
Cup Plant is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest cup plant?
Seeds are premier goldfinch food.
How do you propagate cup plant?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where cup plant sits in the library.
Common Milkweed
Ironweed
Helen's Flower (Sneezeweed)
Turtlehead