Grass-of-Parnassus

Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District

Grass-of-Parnassus (Fen Grass of Parnassus)
Parnassia glauca [C-value 10]
Parnassia family (Parnassiaceae)
Blooms mid-August - September

The lovely native Grass-of-Parnassus is rare in our area. It prefers partial to full sun, consistently wet to moist conditions, and calcareous soil containing organic matter and some gravel or sand. This perennial consists of a tuft of basal leaves from which one or more flowering stalks develop that are ¾–1½' tall. The blades of the basal leaves are 1–2½" long and ¾–2" across and are oval-shaped and toothless. Each stalk terminates in a single flower that spans 1–1¼" across. Each flower has 5 spreading petals that are white with distinctive light green longitudinal veins.

Grass-of-Parnassus at Tucker Fen September 24, 2014

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