Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Podophyllum versipelle
Chinese Mayapple
- Family
- Berberidaceae
- Height
- 24 to 36 inches
- Width
- 24 to 36 inches
- Flower color
- Dark red to maroon nodding flowers held within the foliage
- Foliage color
- Solid deep green leaves with a smooth surface and pronounced lobing
- Bloom time
- Late spring to early summer
- Light
- Partial shade to full shade
- Water
- Consistent moisture
- Maintenance
- Low; provide organic mulch to retain soil moisture and protect shallow rhizomes
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 7 to 9
- Wildlife
- Not noted for attracting wildlife
About this plant
Podophyllum versipelle is a woodland perennial from central and western China valued for rounded, peltate green leaves that form a calm, architectural canopy through the growing season. In mid to late spring, nodding bowl shaped flowers in burgundy to dark red are carried beneath the foliage, lending quiet color within shaded plantings and sheltered garden settings.
Rhizomatous stems extend slowly to create measured colonies, while each emerging leaf unfurls with a smooth surface and gently lobed outline. Native mountain forest habitats contribute to a seasonal rhythm of spring emergence, summer fullness, and autumn dormancy before renewed growth returns with warming days of the following season.
Works well in
Borders · Shade Gardens · Woodland Gardens · Rain Gardens · Cut Flower Gardens
Companion plants
Hostas · Bleeding hearts · Solomon's seal · Ferns · Lungworts · Wild ginger
Design tip
Summer flowers carry the middle of the season, so place it where the bed needs color once spring bulbs fade. Cooler light suits it, so tuck it on the north side of a shrub or wall where the soil stays even.
