Beesia – have you met yet?

Beesia calthafolia emerging2

 

Do you know beesia?  Outside of the plant collector world, few people have heard of this obscure member of the Ranunculus family…first cousin to hellebores, thalictrum, and clematis.  There are only two species, both native to moist woodland soils at high elevations in the Himalayas.  Surprisingly, Beesia calthifolia thrives in our heat and humidity almost as well as it does in the cool Pacific Northwest.  The beautiful mature foliage resembles a cross of wild ginger and galax and is about the same stature.  If you have a woodland garden in Zone 6a-8b, we hope you’ll give this a try.

4 thoughts on “Beesia – have you met yet?”

  1. Michael Hepler-Smith

    Your photo offers that modest hope that comes with spring – not a splash, but a trickle of life. But the dark puckered emerging leaves of your beesia only vaguely hint at the whimsical carpet of heart-shaped mandelbrot patterned leaves that lure you into the woodland and promise mystery yonder in the shadows. I want some of these.

  2. Lovely! Would this be a good deer resistant substitute for hostas? How large are the leaves? If it is evergreen, did you cut back the winter foliage to reveal the new purple growth, and if so, when do you do that?

    Wish I had noticed this at your winter open house, will have to look for it at the spring one.

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