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Home/Species/ American Alumroot

Heuchera americana

L.

American Alumroot

G5Secure Found in 16 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.146641
Element CodePDSAX0E030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilySaxifragaceae
GenusHeuchera
Other Common Names
American alumroot (EN) American Alum-root (EN) Common Alumroot (EN) Heuchère d'Amérique (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-12-30
Change Date1984-06-24
Edition Date2024-12-30
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Heuchera americana is a wide-ranging perennial herb in forests and rock outcrops occurring in eastern and central North America from Ontario, Canada east to Connecticut, United States and west to Nebraska, south to Georgia west to Texas. There are at least a thousand occurrences that are threatened by development, silviculture, roadside maintenance, mineral extraction, and invasive species. The number of varieties and their status as infraspecifics or deserving of species-level elevation is warranted. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Heuchera americana occurs in eastern and central North America from Ontario, Canada east to Connecticut, United States and west to Nebraska, south to Georgia west to Texas (FNA 2009, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 2 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). See individual entries for distribution details about the three varieties.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 1,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by development, silviculture, roadside maintenance, mineral extraction, invasive species, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Heuchera americana grows in "rich woods or open grasslands often over base-saturated granite and gneiss, or in shallow, rocky soil" (FNA 2009).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest - MixedGrassland/herbaceousBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN1
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS1Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
TexasSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
IndianaSNRYes
DelawareS3Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
KansasSNRYes
MississippiS4Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
New YorkSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
LouisianaS2Yes
IowaS3Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.2 - Wood & pulp plantationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.2.3 - Scale unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
3 - Energy production & miningUnknownUnknownUnknown
3.2 - Mining & quarryingUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
4.1 - Roads & railroadsUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (16)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Arkansas (5)
AreaForestAcres
Brush HeapOuachita National Forest4,205
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Ripple HollowShawnee National Forest3,788
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Virginia (7)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Brushy MountainJefferson National Forest4,168
Long SpurJefferson National Forest6,417
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.