An alternative name for this plant is Chocolate Root, due to the fact that when boiled, the root yields a liquid that tastes faintly like chocolate. This is a moisture-loving herbaceous perennial, often found in boggy or swampy conditions. The flowers are long blooming (from late spring to late summer), and are drooping and bell-shaped, in an ivory/pink shade. Each flower is surrounded by a brownish-purple calyx. This species grows in moist to wet, well drained, and acidic soils; in full sun to part shade. It is great for pond edges, borders, and gravel or rock gardens.
If you are looking for a similar-looking flower that thrives in dry conditions, Prairie Smoke would be a good alternative.
Photo credits: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, Davis Landscape Architecture, and William Starkey.
