Podophyllum peltatum, May Apple is one of our wonderful native spring ephemerals – and it’s not so little you need stand right on top of it (like so many are). In early spring, little nubby buds start appearing randomly throughout the flower bed, only to be followed by a ballet of umbrella-like leaves that unfurl on 8-20” stalks. White flowers strut their stuff in April and May, but are best viewed from underneath the plant, as they are sheltered from view by the foliage. Plant in part to full shade, in a bed with well-drained soil and medium moisture. Zones 3-8.
May apple image provided by Nicholas T.
2 Comments
May Apples are one of my favorite wild flowers. I learned as a kid that a first-year plant produces a single leaf, and a second-year plant produces two leaves on a single stalk. Between the leaf stems, the bud emerges and blooms, and the resultant fruit is edible.
I took a few shots of emerging May Apples last spring. Here’s my favorite:
Young May Apple
Lovely, Daniel! Wouldn’t a drift like the image at the top work in my backyard?