Shredded umbrella plant is a woodland perennial from Korea and Japan whose fuzzy spring shoots unfold like tiny umbrellas into deeply cut, round leaves. It isn't found in the wild in the US, but gardeners grow it in shade gardens, where it is hardy in USDA zones 5–8. It's also called palmate umbrella plant.
Appearance
- Growth form
- Spreads slowly by underground stems into clumps. The mound of foliage is about 2 ft (60 cm) tall, with flower stalks up to about twice that.
- Leaves
- Young leaves come up wrapped in silky white hairs, then open into a round, deeply slashed blade 14–16 in (35–40 cm) across, split into 7–9 lobes.
- Flowers
- Small, tubular, pinkish-white flower heads in loose clusters on tall, thin stems.
- Flowering time
- Late summer
Look-alikes
Shredded umbrella plant (Syneilesis aconitifolia)Syneilesis aconitifolia
Its leaves are smaller, about 10 in (25 cm) across, and cut into narrow, strap-like segments. S. palmata has bigger leaves, 14–16 in (35–40 cm) across, whose lobes are split in two at the tips.
Why they get mixed upBoth are sold under the name shredded umbrella plant and both come up in spring like fuzzy closed umbrellas.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Forest floors
- Shade gardens
- Range
- Native to Korea and Japan; not found in the wild in the US.
- Preferred conditions
- Prefers full to partial shade and rich, moist but well-drained soil. It handles dry shade but dislikes soggy soil in winter.
Growing it
- Care
- Used as a specimen or in mass plantings in shade gardens. It's generally free of pests and diseases and can be grown from seed or division.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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