| Where the garden meets the wild | ||||
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ACHLYS VANILLA LEAF, DEER FOOT Berberidaceae (Barberry family) |
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Photograph © Dorrie Woodward |
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Achlys forms carpets of 3-winged "butterfly" leaves that nod in the slightest breeze. Discreet spikes of white flowers bloom in late spring ~ it's May in our photograph ~ and are followed by small, mahogany-colored seeds in the shape of a half-moon. This is a genus of just two species. Both are native to western North America, from British Columbia to California. Achlys californica, with a chromosome count of 2n = 24, is native only to North America. Achlys triphylla, a little smaller, and with a chromosome count of 2n = 12, is also native to Japan. Our plants are often quite large, but, lacking a chromosome count, and living where the soil is rich and wet, we cling to the name we've always known them by. |
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Photograph © Dorrie Woodward |
Achlys triphylla (Smith) de Candolle. Vanilla leaf. This
is an ideal groundcover with spring bulbs under tall conifers and shrubs.
It does very well with Rhododendron and Vaccinium ~ probably
because they share the same root-fungus ~ and prefers
moist, dappled shade and acid, organic soil. The dried leaves have a vanilla scent
and have been used to repel flies. Native from British Columbia
to California, and to Japan. Our stock is from rhizome cuttings of plants growing wild
here on Chilliwack Mountain. Height to 40 cm (15"). Zone
6.
Pot 10 cm / 4". In Canada C$4.00; elsewhere US$3.75. |
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| This page was updated Sept. 4, 2006. | ||||
