Buchnera americana
Family: Orobanchaceae (Scrophulariaceae)
Plant Description: Perennial, herbaceous plant which grows to 60 centimeters high with thick elliptic or elliptic-linear leaves 4 -10 centimeters long arranged opposite. Leaves often with trichomes (hair-like projections) Roots are rhizomes. Dark violet flower grows in a slender spike, corolla 10-13 mm long. Flowers are bilaterally symmetrical with five petals forming a narrow tube that opens outward at right angles.
Plant Trivia: Stems that are broken leave a black dye on the hands. Plants are partially parasitic on roots of nearby plants. They attach to their host plant by parasitic roots called haustoria. During stressful conditions (such as drought), bluehearts may heighten their parasitic effects to the point where a large group of them may damage small trees. Common host trees of bluehearts are white oak (Quercus alba), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and cottonwood (Populus deltoides). Caterpillars of the common buckeye (Junonia coenia) feed on the blueheart. Named after botanist August Heinrich Buchner. Sometimes hemiparasitic, attaching to tree roots.
Field Identification: This is a slender, erect stemmed plant that reaches heights of 1 to 2 feet. It has narrow, lance-shaped, glabrous leaves usually arranged opositely along the stem.
Occurrence: Occasional on damp or low coastal sands. Known from Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Flour bluff, and Padre Island to Rio Grande Valley and occasionally inland in Goliad and Refugio counties. Prefers soils that are well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0–7.5), with good organic matter. Drought tolerant.
Bloom Period: Spring-Fall
Plant Use: This plant has no medical uses, but is highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds. Increasingly used as a garden ornamental plant.
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