Mayapple

Sun

Partial to full shade; morning sun is suitable where the soil stays moist.

Water

Moderate; keep evenly moist during spring growth, without waterlogging.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral; tolerates clay if drainage is adequate.

Height

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) initially; underground rhizomes eventually form much wider colonies.

Flowers

Mid- to late spring; solitary white flowers beneath paired leaves on mature flowering stems.

Foliage

Large, deeply lobed green leaves held like umbrellas; non-flowering stems usually carry one leaf, while flowering stems carry two. Leaves yellow and disappear in summer, particularly in dry conditions.

Growth

Moderate once established; slow to settle after planting.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1 ft (0.32 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.1 ft (0.34 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.2 ft (0.36 m)

5. After 5 years

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

the US and Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Slow

• Water during dry spring weather while leaves are actively growing.
• Apply leaf mould or well-rotted compost as a light mulch each spring.
• Avoid routine feeding in fertile woodland soil.
• Mark the planting area before summer dormancy so you do not dig through the rhizomes.
• Divide dormant colonies in autumn if they spread beyond their allotted space.

Pruning. No shaping is needed. Cut away fully yellowed or collapsed stems at ground level, wearing gloves; leave green foliage to replenish the rhizomes.

Early spring

Apply a light mulch of leaf mould or compost before the shoots fully expand.

Spring

Check emerging shoots for slug damage and water if the soil becomes dry.

Late spring

Look beneath paired leaves for flowers; avoid disturbing the shallow rhizomes.

Summer

Allow natural dormancy; remove dead foliage and mark the colony's position.

Autumn

Plant or divide dormant rhizomes and remove sections advancing into neighbouring plants.

• Plant in broad colonies beneath deciduous trees for bold spring foliage.
• Combine with ferns and Solomon's seal, which remain visible after mayapple becomes dormant.
• Use in eastern North American native woodland gardens with wild ginger and foamflower.
• Place beside a shaded path where the umbrella-like leaves can be seen closely, away from areas used by young children or pets.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Wildlife garden, Secret garden and Green on green.

Plant it with: Christmas fern, Solomon's seal, Wild ginger, Foamflower, Virginia bluebells and White wood aster.

Wildlife: Bumblebees and other bees visit the pollen-bearing flowers. Some mammals eat the ripe fruit and disperse the seeds; wildlife consumption does not make the plant safe for people or pets.

• Slugs and snails can damage emerging foliage; hand-pick them and use iron-phosphate bait according to its label if needed.
• Dry soil or strong sun causes scorched leaves and earlier dormancy; provide shade and maintain spring moisture.
• Waterlogged soil can rot rhizomes; improve drainage or move plants to a better-drained position.
• Colonies can crowd smaller woodland plants; lift and remove unwanted rhizomes during autumn dormancy.

Toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses. Roots, rhizomes, leaves, stems, seeds and unripe fruit contain poisonous compounds; ingestion can cause severe digestive illness and potentially life-threatening poisoning. Fully ripe fruit pulp is traditionally eaten, but seeds and other tissues remain toxic, so do not treat this garden plant as a casual edible. Sap may irritate skin; wear gloves when dividing.

Where it spreads. Spreads assertively by rhizomes in moist woodland gardens, including within its native eastern US and southeastern Canadian range, and can crowd small neighbours. This colony-forming habit is not the same as being a listed invasive species.

• Chinese mayapple (Dysosma versipellis)

  Has thicker, often glossy leaves and clusters of reddish-purple flowers beneath them, rather than mayapple's solitary white flower.

• Umbrella plant (Darmera peltata)

  Forms much larger waterside clumps with rounded, scalloped leaves and upright clusters of pink flowers that appear before the foliage.

• Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum)

  Forms a ground-level rosette of undivided leaves, not upright stems topped by deeply lobed umbrellas.

Podophyllum refers to the stalked leaves, peltatum describes their shield-like attachment, and mayapple refers to the spring flowering season and apple-like fruit.

Propagation. Divide dormant rhizomes in autumn, keeping a healthy bud and roots on each section, and replant at their previous depth. Fresh seed can be sown outdoors, but germination is slow and plants may take several years to flower.

Accepted botanical name

Podophyllum peltatum

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Kentucky.

Measured

Average height 41 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.