Edinburg Township near Rootstown in Portage County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ohio Native Plants

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2025

1. Ohio Native Plants Marker

Inscription.
Blue Paradise Prairie Phlox

Common Name: Blue Paradise Prairie Phlox
Botanical Name: Phlox pilosa 'Paradise Blue'
Height/Width: 2 to 3 feet / 1 to 2 feet
Habitats: Full sun; rocky or dry open woods, valleys, thickets, meadows, prairies and glades
Flowering Period: May to July
Bloom Color: Pink to Purple
Wildlife Value: Butterflies, bee and other pollinators are attracted to the flower nectars.

Butterfly Milkweed

Common Name: Butterfly milkweed
Botanical Name: Asclepias tuberosa
Height/Width: 1 to 2.5 feet / 1 to 1.5 feet
Habitats: Full sun; dry/rocky open woods, glades, prairies, fields, and roadsides
Flowering Period: June through August
Bloom Color: Yellow/Orange
Wildlife Value: Butterflies are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. It is a larval food plant of the Queen and Monarch butterflies, as well as the Dogbane Tiger moth, Milkweed Tussock moth, and the Unexpected Cycnia. It also attracts hummingbirds, bees, and other insects.
History/Lore: Native Americans and European pioneers used the boiled roots of this plant to treat diarrhea and respiratory illnesses.
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The seed pod down was spun and used to make candle wicks.

Cardinal Flower

Common Name: Cardinal Flower
Botanical Name: Lobelia cardinalis
Height/Width: 2 to 4 feet / 1 to 2 feet
Habitats: Full sun to part shade; ditches, ravines, depressions, woodlands edge opening, stream banks, roadsides
Flowering Period: May to October
Bloom Color: Red
Wildlife Value: Its flowers are most attractive to hummingbirds while Monarch butterflies and other pollinators also enjoy the flower nectar.

Erected 2024 by Ohio Department of Transportation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 41° 6.361′ N, 81° 6.781′ W. Marker is near Rootstown, Ohio, in Portage County. It is in Edinburg Township. It is on Interstate 76 at milepost 45, on the right when traveling west. Marker is near the entrance to the Westbound ODOT Rest Area (No. 4-36) comfort station. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rootstown OH 44272, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland

and in the Western Reserve.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ohio's Physiographic Regions (a few steps from this

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2025

2. Ohio Native Plants Marker

marker); Ohio Buckeye Tree (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Ohio Native Plants (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Ohio Native Plants (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Ohio Native Plants (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Stagecoach Inn / Historic Palmyra Center (approx. 3.3 miles away); Atwater Coal Company Mine Disaster (approx. 6.3 miles away); Craig Beach (approx. 6.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rootstown.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Benjamin Tappan, Jr. (was approx. 5.1 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Regarding Ohio Native Plants. The marker has limited but useful historical information.

Nearby Ohio Native Plants Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2025

3. Nearby Ohio Native Plants Marker

All natural history; no historical info; not transcribed

Credits. This page was last revised on October 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2025, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 46 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 11, 2025, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.