Podophyllum peltatum
Growing Information
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Part Shade, Shade
• Soils: Average to Moist, acidic sandy loams.
• Bloom Time: April/May. Fruit in mid-summer.
• Size: 1-1.5ft tall. Spreads along the ground.
A unique woodland plant that grows very well in Cape Cod’s sandy deciduous forests. Interesting star-shaped foliage and spreading rhizomatic habit make this an excellent companion alongside native spring ephemerals. All parts of the plant are highly toxic to eat except the small yellow fruit, which has a lemony, candy-like flavor. Native to western MA.
Garden Companions
Deciduous trees – not pines! Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Golden Groundsel (Packera aurea)
Nature Benefits
• Fruit is eaten by box turtles and small mammals.
Natural Habitat
Mixed deciduous forest, shaded riverbanks and shaded fields.