GOINGnative

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words Virginia Waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum

By Barry Glick

They say a picture is worth (at least) a thousand words. And that’s a good thing, because even though I love this ubiquitous East Coast native plant, I’d be hard-pressed to write more than one page about it. I’ll tell you what I can tell you and rely on the images to tell you the rest. (And…I’ll be very happy to hear that my article and pictures stimulated you enough to go out hunting for Hydrophyllum virginianum in the wild this spring.) First, let’s chat about the name of the genus, Hydrophyllum. Very simply stated, it breaks down to hydro, the Latin name for water, and phyllum, the Latin name for leaf, but you saw that coming, didn’t you? The “common” name is “Virginia Waterleaf” and it was bestowed this name because the silvery marbling of the leaves resembles water spotting. A plant well-known by most native plant nerds, you may ask, why is this plant not on everybody’s radar? Perhaps that’s because the Virginia Waterleaf emerges so early in the spring as a very low-growing plant that is quickly covered up by larger plants and shrubs in its surroundings. Perhaps you were not out early enough in the spring to see the beautiful silvery marbling on the foliage before it faded and turned the leaves a deep, dark-green hue? Perhaps, perhaps, but now that you know to start looking, you’ll find it on a road bank that you’ve been speeding past for years, so slow down! According to several folks I’ve had a dialog with regarding Hydrophyllum virginianum, the young leaves and shoots of this plant are very tasty when cooked, but do it early because they are tender when young but get a bit chewy if you wait too long. Native Americans used a root tea as an astringent for diarrhea and dysentery. The raw roots were chewed to treat mouth sores.

Hydrophyllum virginianum will make an attractive ground cover in moist, shady spots in your garden, since the leaves will last throughout the growing season if sufficient moisture is available. If you decide to transplant it to your garden, make sure that you give it that moist, shady spot and plenty of room because it is a vigorous grower. You’re probably wondering why I haven’t mentioned the flowers, aren’t you? Well, the foliage is so dramatic and striking that in my mind, the flowers, although interesting, take a backseat to the foliage. The flowers of this species are small clusters of white to lilac, bell-shaped blooms that are a third of an inch long. They appear from May to June—sometimes with an infrequent additional bloom into August. Sooooo, here’s another uncommon, but definitely not rare plant to add to your knowledge base of the many unique and beautiful native plants that we are blessed to have in this botanical paradise of the Mid-Atlantic! o

Barry Glick, a transplanted Philadelphian, has been residing in Greenbrier County, WV, since 1972. His mountaintop garden and nursery is a mecca for gardeners from virtually every country in the world. He writes and lectures extensively about native plants and Hellebores, his two main specialties, and welcomes visitors with advance notice. He can be reached at barry@sunfarm.com, www.sunfarm.com, or 304.497.2208..