 Darmera peltata
- common names: umbrella plant, Indian rubarb
- flowering season: early spring
- height: 2 to 3 feet; older plants to 5 feet
- Light requirements: filtered light, afternoon shade
- Soil requirements: rich to average
- Water requirments: moist to average
- Growth habit: a slowly widening clump
- How to propagate: dividing in early summer
- Leaf type: large rounded leaves
- Ways to use it: a low care plant for the shade
- Special characteristics: when planted in light shade where it will have plenty of moisture, this may grow to an impressive height of five feet
- Other points of interests: some sources claim that the leaf stalks are edible when peeled, either eaten raw or cooked like asparagus (click here for a link to one source)
Usually this grows two to three feet tall, although it can reach five feet. With a common name of umbrella plant, Darmera has a creeping rootstock that slowly spreads to form a clump with large rounded, lobed leaves. The stem of the leaf attaches to the center underneath the leaf, allowing the leaf to catch and hold a small amount of water after a rain, like a cup. Prefers deeply moist soil in sun or light shade. It does not last long when planted in the deep South. On the West Coast where it is a native, it grows well in Zones 5 - 9, elsewhere to USDA Zones 5 - 7. The white or pale pink flowers appear in spring before the leaves show. Another name for this is Peltiphyllum peltatum. |
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