cup plant

noun

1. a hardy composite plant, Silphium perfoliatum, of eastern North America, having large yellow flower heads and opposite leaves that envelop the stem, forming a cup.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cup plant¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

It might look morose, but when I saw it paired with a pink aster and a yellow cup plant recently, it stopped me in my tracks.

From Washington Post

The tall, wiry cup plant is lovely in its deterioration.

From Washington Post

In a sunny, meadow-like garden, the uppermost layer takes the form of beefier structural perennials such as Joe-Pye weed, cup plant or Indian grass.

From Washington Post

The garden is bright with flowers and color, with such things as ironweed, phlox, tithonias, lantanas, dahlias, pentas, salvias, Joe-Pye weed and the cup plant.

From Washington Post

Butterflies and bees, flies and little wasps sip nectar from the pink flower puffs of joe-pye weed, the tiny purple blossoms of ironweed, the bright yellow daisies of silphium, or cup plant, whose big leaves are held together like hands to catch the rain.

From New York Times