Photo credits and licenses
Real photographs from naturalists and photographers worldwide, each used under its own license. Credit: Photo by Мария Ткаченко / iNaturalist (CC BY), Photo by Мария Ткаченко / iNaturalist (CC BY) and Photo by Елена Астахова / iNaturalist (CC BY). How photos are sourced →
Globeflower
Trollius
Also comes in orange.
Globeflower blooms from May through June.
This entry comes from our curated library and has not yet been independently checked against outside sources. Curated is not unreliable: a standing audit keeps every entry internally consistent, and the source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open.
Growing Globeflower
Plant it in part sun. It prefers high water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–7. Expect it to reach about 2 ft tall and 1.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Globeflower
Plant Globeflower in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 7 range, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 5 in April.
Good to know about Globeflower
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Mildly toxic and a skin irritant, like other buttercup-family plants. Fresh sap can redden or blister skin, and eating it irritates the mouth and gut. per Cornell and ASPCA
Worth knowing
In the wild it is a bog and wet-meadow plant of cool northern regions, which is exactly why it demands constantly moist soil and cool summers in the garden. per USDA and NC State
Warm-end zone is disputed
Chicago Botanic caps 'Cheddar' at zone 6, while NC State extends it to zone 7 with a heat warning. In hot, dry zone 7 treat it as marginal. per Chicago Botanic and NC State
Mature spread varies by source
NC State lists a narrow 0.15 to 0.3 m; Missouri gives 0.6 to 0.9 m for an established clump. Space for the wider figure if it settles in. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
Where the name comes from
The round, globe-shaped flowers form from incurved petaloid sepals, so they look like giant double buttercups; the spherical shape gives the plant its name. per NC State
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits leave it alone. Chicago Botanic credits leaf chemicals that deter browsing, the same buttercup-family compounds behind its toxicity and irritant sap. per NC State and Chicago Botanic
Only fresh sap irritates
The irritant is a fresh-plant hazard: protoanemonin breaks down to harmless anemonin as the plant dries, so dried material loses its sting. Wear gloves for fresh cuts. per Cornell
Few pests, watch mildew
Largely trouble-free with no serious insect or disease problems. The one issue both sources flag is powdery mildew, worst where airflow is poor or the plant is stressed. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
What pairs well with Globeflower
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Joe Pye Weed
Takes full sun to part sun and high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sneezeweed
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
False Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Summersweet
Takes part sun to part shade and high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Northern Sea Oats
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rose of Sharon
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; taller at 8.2 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Crocosmia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Explore similar plants
You might also like
Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.