Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small ex Porter & Britton

Common Dog Fennel

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Common Dog Fennel is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Common Dog Fennel occurs in old fields, in disturbed woodlands, in clear cuts, on roadsides, and in other open disturbed habitats. It is a perennial from a woody rootstock. Several stems often arise from each rootstock. The stems are erect, green or reddish in color, pubescent, branched above the middle, and 3-6 feet in height. Leaves are opposite or alternate, sessile, ternately lobed or dissected into linear segments about 1 mm in width, glabrous or slightly pubescent, gland dotted, with entire revolute margins. The nodes often have fascicles of smaller leaves from lateral branches that do not elongate. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in dense panicles. Each head has glabrous phyllaries that are not gland-dotted and 5 white disc flowers. The fruit is an achene with a crown of pappus. All parts of the plants have a strong fennel or carrot odor when crushed. Common Dog Fennel contains alkaloids which can cause liver damage if ingested. Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) planted Common Dog Fennel during his travels, believing it to be antimalarial.—A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL)

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