Ethnobotany

Growing to 60 cm tall on eroded hillsides or dry banks, these thistle-like plants produce fragrant creamy-white flowers with five petals and five petal-like stamens. This explains their name decapetala, or ten petals. The flowers, a dramatic 7–10 cm across, open at night as they are pollinated by moths.

Although a related plant with bright yellow flowers was a respected medicinal plant used by the Cheyenne in Montana, no ethnobotanical use is recorded for the species that is found in Alberta.

This plant is not currently in the garden, but we hope it is coming soon. 

Botany

To be added soon.