# Throatwort (*Trachelium caeruleum*)

Throatwort is a beautiful flower with bright blue petals. It loves to grow in sunny places and can attract butterflies and bees, making it a favorite in gardens.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Throatwort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Trachelium_caeruleum_'Devotion_Purple'_Flower.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Photo by and (c)2014 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), GFDL 1.2 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trachelium_caeruleum_'Devotion_Purple'_Flower.JPG)

## Appearance

The Throatwort has airy clusters of tiny, star-shaped blue-purple flowers that form a delicate, cloud-like dome. Its slender stems hold the vibrant blooms high, creating a unique display compared to other garden flowers.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Campanulaceae
- **Genus:** Trachelium

## Interesting facts

- Each 'flower' head is actually a tiny universe of up to 100 individual star-like blooms!
- It's a favorite of florists who use its delicate clusters to add a 'cloud' effect to bouquets!
- Its common name, Throatwort, comes from its historical use in remedies for throat ailments.
- Throatwort is also known as 'Blue Thimble Flower' because of its unique shape and color.

## Special abilities

- **Scented Invitation:** Throatwort has a sweet, vanilla-like fragrance that helps it attract buzzing bees and butterflies from afar to pollinate its flowers.
- **Cloud Bloom:** Throatwort can produce hundreds of tiny flowers in one large cluster, helping it create a huge visual target for pollinators.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-60 cm
- **Spread:** 30-45 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Bumblebee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bumblebee) (*Bombus terrestris*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Red Admiral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-admiral) (*Vanessa atalanta*) — sips nectar from the tiny blooms

## Traits

- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult, as some plants can be delicate.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Throatwort?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Throatwort?

30-60 cm

### How wide does Throatwort spread?

30-45 cm

### How big are the flowers on Throatwort?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Throatwort bloom?

Summer to Fall

### Is Throatwort edible?

No

### Is Throatwort toxic?

None

### What is Throatwort's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Throatwort: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/throatwort)