Puccoon
| Botanical Name | Lithospermum incisum |
| Common Name | Puccoon |
| Family | Boraginaceae – Forget-me-not |
| Description | This native perennial often has clustered stems. Both stems and leaves have bristly hairs. The leaves are alternate and linear, mostly 1/8” – 2” long, without teeth. The basal leaves usually dry up before the plant blooms. It is found in dry uplands. |
| Mature Size | 2” – 12” |
| Bloom | The flowers are bright yellow and tubular. The 5 united petals have irregularly toothed edges. These spring-blooming flowers are more or less infertile. Later, in the summer, the plant produces smaller, almost invisible flowers. From these come very fertile seeds. |
| Interesting Facts | Although individually conspicuous, these plants are often obscured by other plants. The word Puccoon comes from the Virginia Algonquain word poughkone. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | A red or purple dye is present in the roots. It has a history of medicinal uses but contains potentially toxic alkaloids. |
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Photo by Janice Tucker for SFBG
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