May-apple is a native Missouri wildflower that transforms shaded woodland gardens into colonies of umbrella-like foliage crowned with delicate, nodding white flowers each spring. This rhizomatous perennial grows 12-18 inches tall and produces edible fruits that ripen by early summer, thriving in zones 3-8 where it naturally occurs in both moist and dry woodland areas. The plant's distinctive deeply-lobed, pale green leaves can reach 12 inches across, and flowering plants (those with two leaves) bear single 3-inch, waxy white blooms with 6-9 petals. May-apple's ability to spread by rhizomes and self-seed makes it invaluable for naturalizing shaded spaces where few other plants flourish.
Partial Shade
Moderate
3-8
18in H x 12in W
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Moderate
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The umbrella-like foliage of may-apple is reason enough to grow it, but the real draw lies in watching colonies establish themselves year after year with minimal intervention. Two-leaved plants reward you with delicate, nodding white flowers in spring, followed by small, showy edible fruits that develop as the plant goes dormant in summer. Its drought tolerance and ability to thrive in dry woodland soils where black walnut trees grow make it a solution for notoriously difficult garden spots. Plants go completely dormant after fruiting, leaving room for late-season perennials to fill the space it once occupied.
May-apple is grown primarily for naturalizing shaded woodland gardens and naturalized areas, where its rhizomatous spread creates drifts of foliage. The plant produces edible fruits that develop beneath its canopy of leaves, though these are typically appreciated more for their ornamental presence and ecological value than for culinary harvest.
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Transplant rhizomes or container-grown plants in spring after frost danger passes. Plant at the same depth they were growing previously, spacing 9-12 inches apart to allow for lateral rhizome spread. In zones 3-5, wait until soil has warmed and frost is no longer a threat.
Harvest the edible fruits once they have fully ripened and turned yellow or green. The fruit develops under the plant's canopy of leaves and can be gathered in early summer as the plant begins to go dormant.
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