fly poison

Amianthium muscitoxicum blooms between May and July with small white flowers that turn greenish or purplish with age. Its flowers form an indeterminate bracteate raceme inflorescence. It blooms from the bottom of the inflorescence upwards, eventually forming small, bright orange fruits in the late summer or fall.

A. muscitoxicum can grow 1–4 feet tall. Its main leaves are at the base of the plant; they are thin and can grow more than 12in long. It also has leaves along the length of the stem, but they are very reduced.

Amianthium muscitoxicum is native to the eastern United States from New York to Florida and can be found as far west as Missouri and Oklahoma. Its native habitats include oak forests, bogs, low pinelands, savannas, meadows, and sandhills. It does best in partial shade, with 1–2 hours of direct sunlight. Companion plants include: longleaf pine, willow oak, mountain laurel, blueberries, galax, heartleaf, foamflowers, smilacina, Soloman's seal, dwarf iris, jack-in-the-pulpit, black cohosh, grasses.

Amianthium muscitoxicum's common name "fly poison," comes from its use by early colonists as a way to control flies. The bulbs can be ground down and mixed with something sweet, such as molasses or honey, to attract flies. When flies drink it, they become unstable and have difficulty moving. After 24 hours or so, if the flies have not been removed, the poison will wear and off and they are seemingly fine.