Lithospermum canescens aka Indian Paint

Lithospermum canescens is a small perennial called hoary puccoon. It belongs to the borage family, Boraginaceae. Other names include American alkanet, red root, and yellow puccoon. Its native range covers parts of Canada and the United States. It extends from Ontario south to Georgia, and west to Saskatchewan and Texas. It grows in prairies and dry, open woods, including sandy sites. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant has an upright form and stays quite low. Plants For A Future gives its height as about 0.7 feet [0.2 metres]. Its yellow flowers bring colour in spring and summer. Plants For A Future lists flowering from May to June. Chicago Botanic Garden also lists blooms in July and August. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects pollinate the flowers, and the plant draws butterflies. This makes it useful where gardeners seek flowers that attract wildlife.

Give hoary puccoon a warm site with full sun. It does not grow well in shade. It needs soil that drains well and has moderate fertility. Sandy or loamy soil suits it, with a preference for sand. Plants For A Future advises soil without lime. It lists mildly acid to neutral soil as suitable. The plant can grow in dry or moist ground. Chicago Botanic Garden gives moderate watering needs and USDA zones 3–9. These needs suit sunny beds, borders, and open woodland edges.

Gardeners can raise new plants from seed, cuttings, or division. Sow seed in spring in a cold frame. Plants For A Future suggests a growing mix without soil. Move seedlings into separate pots once large enough to handle. Keep young plants in a greenhouse through their first winter. Set them outside in late spring or early summer. Wait until the risk of frost has passed. Plants For A Future does not flag the species as weedy.

The roots yield a red dye. People have also chewed roots with gum to tint it red. Flowers served the same purpose, giving gum a yellow tint. These are recorded colouring uses, rather than uses as food. Plants For A Future also records an external leaf-tea remedy. It reports no known hazards, but this does not establish safety. Its low ratings for food and medicine reflect limited recorded uses.