Zigadenus glaberrimus aka Sandbog Death Camas

Zigadenus glaberrimus is a wildflower that lives for years. It belongs to the Melanthiaceae family. Its common names include sandbog deathcamas and large-flowered zigadenus. It comes from the southeastern United States, including North Carolina. Its range runs from Virginia south to Florida, and west to Texas. It grows wild in pine savannas and sandy pine woods. It also grows in seepage bogs and near streams. Other sites include the edges of pocosins, a type of swamp. Most plants grow below 350 feet [107 metres] in elevation.

Plants grow upright to 2–4 feet [0.6–1.2 metres] tall. Thick, twisted rhizomes, or underground stems, support stems and leaves. The smooth stems branch and have a red tint. Green leaves grow from the base in spring. They look like grass blades, with narrow shapes and veins. They grow more than 0.5 feet [0.15 metres] long. Their edges are smooth, and they have no hairs. Smaller leaves grow up the stems, each on an alternate side. The leaves turn red in fall and winter, then die back.

Flowers bloom from June to September in branched groups called panicles. The star-shaped blooms range from white through cream to pale yellow. Each flower has six tepals, the parts that look like petals. Each tepal has two green glands. Long stamens add to the show of flowers. Bees and butterflies come for nectar and pollen. Cone-shaped seed cases, called capsules, form after the flowers. They stay in view from August through November. Each is less than 0.08 feet [0.025 metres] long and across.

Give this plant full sun and moist to wet, acidic soil. It suits bogs and copes with wet ground and brief floods. It grows in sand or loam rich in organic matter. NC State lists it for USDA zones 8a–11b. It copes with heat and grows at a moderate rate. Grow new plants from seed or split plants into parts. Its flowers suit native gardens and wet borders. They also suit plantings for insects that pollinate flowers. Wild plants can form broad stands, which suggests use in mass plantings. Plants may be hard to buy and may not live long.

NC State reports no major pest or disease concerns. Poison poses the main risk, not harm from insects. This plant is highly poisonous to people, cats, dogs, and livestock. Its alkaloids can cause vomiting, weakness, and tremors. They can also make it hard to control movement. Poisoning can slow the heart and lower blood pressure. Without treatment, it can kill. The evidence names the flowers as poisonous and supports no edible use. It does not list the plant as causing contact dermatitis, a skin rash from touch.