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How to Identify Virginia Snakeroot

Virginia snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria) has an unusual method of pollination, trapping curious insects inside its ill-smelling flowers until they reach where the pollen lies, precipitating their release. This perennial grows from northern states such as Connecticut and Michigan southward to the Deep South, in thick forest beneath trees like hickory, oak and sweetgum. It is often rare within its range and Virginia snakeroot is difficult to identify unless you specifically know what features to look for.

Instructions

    • 1

      Look for a plant that develops from tough, rhizomous roots, sending up new spurts of growth through the sideways-growing root system. The stem of Virginia snakeroot is very thin and it is wavy; the stem grows in a slight zigzagging manner.

    • 2

      Measure the height of Virginia snakeroot. The perennial matures to between 8 and 24 inches high on average, with some of the larger specimens approaching heights of 36 inches.

    • 3

      Inspect the thin foliage found on Virginia snakeroot. The leaves grow from the stems in an alternate pattern. Virginia snakeroot leaves feature a heart-shaped base, notes Purdue University, with a pointed tip. The greenish leaves develop to as long as 2 1/2 inches and have widths up to 1 1/2 inches.

    • 4

      Search for the small flowers that bloom on the Virginia snakeroot from May through July. The flowers are not easy to observe, often covered by leaves since they grow out of the base of the plant. The flowers resemble small pipes and they are shades of brownish-purple, according to the Connecticut Botanical Society. Remove any leaf litter concealing the flowers and measure them; they grow to be 3/4 inch long. Notice the smell; snakeroot flowers smell like rotten meat, a characteristic that lures bugs to the plant for pollination purposes.

    • 5

      Study the fruit generated by the flowers of Virginia snakeroot. Like the flower, the fruit develops quite close to ground level, making it hard to see. The fruit is round and about 1/2 inch in diameter, containing several seeds. Small mammals such as mice, consume it.


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