Virginia Meadow Beauty

Rhexia virginica

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworm), Eupithecia miserulata (common pug)
S14 Nearctic records; S10 Scopula limboundata also feeds on Rhexia spp.

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5), nationally N4 in Canada. Not SARA listed. In Ontario ranked S4 (Apparently Secure). VASCAN distribution limited to ON and NS within Canada. A Coastal Plain disjunct in the Great Lakes region, restricted to acidic sandy shorelines.
S22+S26+S1+S7
Rarity Ranks: ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A Coastal Plain disjunct element found on wet, acidic, sandy to mucky lake shores, bogs, and interdunal swales [S7+S10]. In the Great Lakes region, it is locally frequent on soft-water lake shores in sandy-peaty substrates with Sphagnum, Drosera, and Rhynchospora. High quality natural areas indicator in Illinois. Primarily associated with undisturbed, nutrient-poor wetlands on acidic substrates [S4+S7].
S7+S10+S4

Roles: Fortress/Barrier
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)]

Category: Throat Aid
S28 Micmac and Montagnais throat aid
Notes: Mi'kmaq (Micmac) used leaves and stems as a throat cleanser. Montagnais prepared a brew from leaves and stems for cleaning the throat. PFAF confirms a tea from leaves and stems used as a throat cleaner.
S28+S29

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Leaves raw or cooked with a sweetish, slightly acid taste; makes a pleasant salad. Roots can be chopped into salads or eaten as a nut-like nibble. Montagnais made a sour drink from leaves and stems.
S29+S28