Hydrophyllum Virginianum Waterleaf Caribbeangardenseed

The name Hydrophyllum means ‘water’; notice how the early season leaves of the Virginia Waterleaf appear to have water droplets. Virginia Waterleaf is a classic Northwoods plant.

This herbaceous perennial plant is 1-2′ tall, branching sparingly. The stems are green, reddish green, or reddish brown, and they are glabrous to slightly hairy. When they are present, these hairs are curved or appressed against their stems. The alternate leaves are up to 6″ long and 4″ across (excluding the petioles); they are pinnately divided into 3-5 leaflets or deep lobes, and their margins are coarsely toothed or shallowly cleft. The lobes of these leaves are relatively narrow and they have acute tips. The earliest leaves in spring have small patches of white that are scattered across their upper surfaces; these white patches don’t develop in later leaves. The petioles are up to 2″ long, light green to reddish brown, and glabrous to short-pubescent; they are flat or furrowed along their upper sides and convex below. Each upper stem terminates in 1 or 2 cymes of flowers. The flowering stalks (or peduncles) of these cymes are up to 4″ long; they are terete and glabrous to short-pubescent.

The preference is partial sun to light shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and a rich loamy soil with decaying leaves. This plant can be cultivated in gardens where there is some shade from deciduous trees.