The compass plant gets its name from the tendency of its large oversized leaves to orient themselves in a north-south direction.

Explanations for this include, maximizing the leaf area's exposure to the sun, and orienting the edges of the leaves towards the sun so as not to scald them in the heat of the Midwestern summer.

Settlers apparently made use of this natural compass.

 Compass plants belong to a genus of plants known as Silphiums. These are extremely deep-rooted plants that grow very tall, up to eight feet or more.

Compass plants send up a long stalk that is home to several small sunflower-like flower heads.

Prairie gardeners should be sure that a plant this tall is really desired. It may also take a couple of years to mature.