About this cultivar:
Podophyllum versipelle 'Spotty Dotty' is an expensive (but worth it, obviously) 2005 hybrid introduction from Terra Nova nurseries. From Terra Nova: The seed parent was (is?) a selection out of a hybrid swarm from a Japanese nursery, which is believed to have come from P. difforme, P. delavayi, and P. versipelle. The pollen parent, a P. delavayi, was a highly coloured selection. The new cultivar was chosen for its outstanding foliage and vigour.
We've tried a few of these new Podophyllum cultivars (eg: Podophyllum 'Kaleidoscope' didn't perform well at all) and most are $#!! apart from this one.
Growth begins in early spring with the emergence of the leaves. These push up through the soil like a closed umbrella and expand once it is clear of the soil surface. Many leaves are produced per plant, each one being slightly different. The base colour is green but numerous brown-red markings are present which persist right through until autumn. Flowers are star-shaped, and bright crimson red, hanging beneath the leaves. Bring a little bit of outer-space into your garden!
A short youtube video I found below:
- Position: Partial shade, full sahde
- Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert
- Flowers: May
- Other features: Interesting Foliage or Fruit
- Hardiness: Fully hardy, grows well in Ballyrobert
- Habit: Clump forming
- Foliage: Semi evergreen
- Height: 15 - 25 cm (0.5 - 0.8 ft)
- Spread: 15 - 25 cm (0.5 - 0.8 ft)
- Time to full growth: 5 to 10 years
- Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Colour: Green, purple
- Goes well with: --
About this genus:
Podophyllum (pod-o-fil-lum) is an herbaceous perennial plants in the barberry family (Berberidaceae), described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753. The name is a contraction of the latin anapodophyllumIn, meaning duck's-foot-leaved! Though the common name is mayapple, it's flower appears in early May, not the apple. The fruit or apple is produced early summer and ripens later in summer.
Flourishing in moist, humus-rich niches, Podophyllum’s vigorous fleshy rhizomes form a substantial colony. Every part of Podophyllum is toxic except the ripened apples, although recent studies indicate the entire plant contains promising medicinal properties including anticancer and other healing compounds. Mayapple has been used by American Indians who used to boil the poisonous root, and use the water to cure stomach aches.
The bizarre, oddly marked leaves look like they belong on an old Star Trek set rather than in the garden, but they definitely catch your eye. Dan Hinkley considers them, among the most dramatic foliage plants that I currently have in my garden. We grow ours in our woodland, but they could almost be put anywhere that isn't too extreme in dryness or wetness.