|  
| 
|
| Growth Type: Perennial
Hardiness Zones: 6 - 8
Location at Monticello: West Lawn
Planting Conditions: Part Sun
| Twinleaf
Jeffersonia diphylla
This rare and desirable native woodland perennial was named to honor Thomas Jefferson in 1792 by the "Father of American Botany," Benjamin Smith Barton. The plant was grown by Jefferson at Monticello, in one of the oval beds planted in 1807. The attractive flowers last only a few days and bloom in the Spring about the time of Jefferson's birthday. Twinleaf is well worth growing for its lush green leaves, which make a beautiful groundcover for a shaded site. While Twinleaf is an easy plant to grow, it is very slow to propagate, taking 5 to 8 years to bloom from seed.
Small white flowers resembling those of Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) appear on stems on early spring, before the leaves have expanded. The unusual lidded seed pods mature in early June.
Check Monticello's on-line shops for seeds or plants of Twinleaf.
|
|
|
