Nabalus albus aka White Rattlesnake Root

Nabalus albus is a perennial in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Its common names include white lettuce, bird bell, and wild lettuce. The RHS lists Prenanthes alba as a synonym. This plant comes from temperate parts of Canada and the United States. Its range spans parts of central and eastern North America. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. In the wild, it grows in rich woods and thickets.

The plant reaches about 5 feet [1.5 metres] in height. This makes it a tall plant for a woodland bed. Its stems contain latex, which features in records of traditional use. Flowers appear from July to August. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects pollinate the flowers. The supplied sources give no further details about flower shape or colour. They also provide no account of its fruit or leaf form.

Grow it in moist soil that drains well. It suits humus-rich ground with a neutral to mildly acid pH. It can grow in sandy, loamy, or clay soil. PFAF places it in USDA hardiness zones 4–8. That source also gives a UK zone number of 5. Its shade guidance is less consistent. The growing notes allow full shade or partial shade. The landscape notes favour dappled shade and shady edges, but exclude deep shade. A woodland edge therefore fits both sets of guidance.

PFAF describes seed as a means of raising new plants. Sow the seeds on the surface in spring, under greenhouse cover. Move seedlings into separate pots once they are large enough. Keep them in the greenhouse through their first winter. Set them out in late spring or early summer, after expected frosts. The sources do not identify any pests or diseases. PFAF does not flag the plant as a weed.

PFAF lists no known edible use and gives edibility zero out of five. It reports no known hazards, but that does not establish food or pet safety. It records traditional uses for the roots, leaves, and stem latex. These include attempts to increase milk flow and urine output. Other records describe washes and poultices for weakness, bites, and snakebite. These are historical uses, not proof that the treatments work. PFAF gives medicinal use two out of five. It lists no other uses beyond those described.