Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Veratrum viride (Indian Poke, Indian Hellebore, False Hellebore, Green False Hellebore) is a species of Veratrum native to eastern and western (but not central) North America. It is extremely toxic, and is considered a pest plant by farmers with livestock. The species has acquired a large number of common names within its native range, including American False Hellebore, American White Hellebore, Bear Corn, Big Hellebore, Corn Lily, Devils Bite, Duck Retten, Indian Hellebore, Itch-weed, Itchweed, Poor Annie, Blue Hellebore, and Tickleweed. It is a herbaceous perennial plant reaching 0.7-2 meter tall, with a solid green stem. The leaves are spirally arranged, 10-35 centimeter long and 5-20 centimeter broad, elliptic to broad lance-shaped ending in a short point, heavily ribbed and hairy on the underside. The flowers are numerous, produced in a large branched flower cluster 30-70 centimeter tall; each flower is 5-12 millimeter long, with six green to yellow-green petals. The fruit is a capsule 1.5-3 centimeter long, which splits into three sections at maturity to release the numerous flat 8-10 millimeter diameter seeds. The plant reproduces through rhizome growth as well as seeds.

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

2 - 7 ft Tall

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Color

Yellow, Green

Sun

Partial Shade

Site type

Streambanks, moist meadows, edges

Plant communities

Subalpine Forest, Wetland-Riparian