About

Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

Height: 1-2 feet
Light: Part shade – shade
Soil Type: Moist, well-drained soil
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color: White, which turns into crab apple sized edible fruits that ripen in early summer
Foliage: Green

Walking through woods in spring, you may come upon a large mass of Mayapples, their large, distinctive, umbrella-shaped leaves carpeting the forest floor. Not all plants flower every year but when they do, a solitary creamy-white flower nods between the axil of two leaves. The small fleshy fruit produced is eaten by various animals including box turtles, believed to be the only known agents for distributing the seeds.