American Alumroot
Heuchera americana
- Plant Type
- Forb (Semi-evergreen)
- Landscape Layer
- Groundcover
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Rocky / Acidic, Calcareous
- Bloom
- May, June, July, August
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Epinotia heucherana (Tortricidae)
- 🐝 Specialist Bee Host
- Colletes aestivalis
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Ruffed Grouse (Phasianidae) consumes Heuchera americana, comprising 1.4% of diet by weight or volume in one study. Persistent basal foliage may provide winter browse.
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 2
- Native Status
- ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- SE
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.3 – Atlantic Highlands, 5.3.1 – Northern Appalachians and Atlantic Maritime Highlands
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) but nationally imperiled in Canada (N1) and critically imperiled in Ontario (S1). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Reaches the northern limit of its range in southern Ontario; absent from Quebec.
- Rarity Ranks
- ON S1 – Critically Imperiled
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Occurs in rich deciduous forests, rocky woodlands, wooded bluffs and slopes, often on calcareous substrates. Typically found in oak-hickory woods and high-quality upland habitats in the understory. At its Canadian range limit, confined to southern Ontario.
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier, Living Mulch, Pollinator Attractor
- Notes
- Effective as a woodland ground cover planted at 35 cm spacing. Thrives under deciduous canopy with Carex and other shade-tolerant forbs. Tolerates juglone, making it suitable near black walnut. Valued as a foliage plant in shady eastern gardens.
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Astringent, Antidiarrheal, Dermatological Aid, Analgesic, Vulnerary, Gastrointestinal Aid, Tonic
- Notes
- Root is powerfully astringent, used extensively by Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Menominee, Meskwaki, Chippewa, and Teton Sioux peoples. Root decoction or powder applied externally to sores, wounds, and ulcers. Taken internally for diarrhea, dysentery, stomach pain, and bowel complaints. PFAF rates medicinal value 3 of 5. Caution: excess use may irritate the stomach and cause kidney or liver damage.
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- No edible uses documented. PFAF rates edibility 0 of 5. Moerman records 22 Drug uses but no Food category entries.
Seed Source
- Localeaf