The Original Mystery Plant
Dr. John Nelson

Photo by Will Stuart

The Mystery Plant blooms during the winter. Blooming in the cold months is risky, but there are some advantages. Presumably, late or winter- blooming plants don't have to compete pollinators

The Mystery Plant is a perennial herb that blooms from October into December and sometimes as late as January.

It is a resident of pine savannas and sandhill ecosystems on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its distribution is odd because most of its populations occur from northeastern South Carolina (north of the Santee River) through North Carolina and into the southeastern corner of Virginia. The Mystery Plant also appears in scattered areas of Delaware and southern New Jersey.

It comes up from thick roots and produces slender stems and smooth, narrow leaves. The plants are very inconspicuous unless they're blooming. Usually one flower, sometimes two or three, will open at the top of a branch. Between each pair of the fused petals will be a prominent pleat or infolding.

The corolla tends to be a brilliant blue, varying from sky- blue or flax blue to a darker purple shade. The interior of the corolla is heavily speckled with little green dots.

Although it's not extremely rare, this species occurs in threatened habitats. Pine barrens and savannas of the Atlantic seaboard have been devastated over the years by timbering, draining, urbanization, and the prevention of natural burning.

The Mystery Plant is one of the premier indicators of various pine- dominated habitats, and it's one of the showiest. It's a beautiful surprise on a cold winter day.