812-217-7207
reseednursery@gmail.comBiennial • $6, 4-inch pot
| Height | 2 ft |
| Spacing | 1 to 1.5 ft |
| Sun Exposure | Partial Sun to Shade |
| Soil Moisture | Medium-Wet |
| Bloom Color | Light Purple |
| Bloom Time | May, June |
| Companion Plantings | Wood Nettle, Wild Geranium, Fire Pink |
| Special Attributes |  |
Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
Nearly every type of bee visits these stunning light-purple flowers, which begin blooming in May, including a specialist Andrenid bee. Other pollinators also seek pollen and/or nectar from these blooms, including small flies, butterflies, and skippers. The flowering period lasts just under a month. One species of moth in this region, the Bicolored Woodgrain, feeds on the foliage, but it is not otherwise a significant host plant. Great Waterleaf is a biennial and grows from a central taproot and is thus not aggressive like Virginia Waterleaf and its other perennial waterleaf cousins. Nonetheless, this plant easily reseeds and will likely perpetuate in the garden.
Great Waterleaf does best in dappled shade under a deciduous canopy and needs rich soil with at least medium moisture. If the planting location has poor soil, consider amending with compost prior to installation. The genus name refers to the uniquely patterned just-emerging leaves, which give the illusion of being spotted with water, especially under the dappled sunlight of a forest floor in spring; this pattern fades as the foliage matures.
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