Achlys spp.

vanilla leaf

Berberidaceae Western North America and East Asia

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Fragrant (light)Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Achlys spp. is a genus of rhizomatous woodland perennials in the barberry family (Berberidaceae), with three species in moist forests of western North America and eastern Asia. Each plant sends up a single long-stalked leaf 10–40 cm (4–16 in) tall, divided into three broad, fan-shaped leaflets with scalloped or toothed margins. Slender leafless stalks carry a dense, bottlebrush-like spike of small white flowers that lack petals, the colour coming from many projecting stamens. Plants spread by creeping underground rhizomes to form broad, low colonies of overlapping leaves on the forest floor. The dried foliage gives off a scent of vanilla, the source of the common name vanilla leaf. Achlys spp. grows in deep to part shade on moist, humus-rich, acidic soil and tolerates dense shade and root competition, but it scorches and goes dormant in dry or sunny sites. Foliage dies back in autumn and reappears in spring. The fruit is a small reddish-purple crescent-shaped follicle. Spread is gradual, and plants take time to fill an area.

Native Range

Achlys spp. occurs in moist, shaded coniferous and mixed forests. A. triphylla and A. californica grow in western North America from British Columbia to California, while A. japonica is native to Japan and the Russian Far East.

Suggested Uses

Planted as a shade groundcover under trees and shrubs, in woodland and native plant gardens, and along shaded paths. Massed for its overlapping fan-shaped foliage in damp, low-light areas. Suited to cool woodland conditions rather than sunny, dry borders.

How to Identify

Recognised by a single fan-shaped leaf split into three broad, wedge-shaped leaflets carried on a long stalk. The leafless flower stalk holds a narrow, dense spike of small petalless white flowers above the foliage. Dried leaves smell of vanilla, and plants grow in spreading colonies on shaded forest floors.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 1'4"

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

yellow

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~2 weeks

Spring Summer

Achlys spp. flowers in late spring to early summer, generally May to June, sending up narrow white spikes above the leaves. Each spike blooms over one to two weeks. Small crescent-shaped fruits follow and ripen through summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

medium green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Tolerates up to 4 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

loam peat

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years to fill in

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow Achlys spp. in part to deep shade on moist, humus-rich, acidic woodland soil. It tolerates dense shade, root competition, and consistently damp ground but scorches and goes dormant early in dry or sunny positions. A soil pH from about 5.0 to 6.5 suits it. Keep the soil cool and evenly moist with leaf-mould mulch. Plants spread slowly by rhizome and need little care once settled. Cold hardiness runs to about USDA zone 5.

Pruning

Achlys spp. needs no pruning. Removing tattered or dried leaves at the end of the season tidies the colony before new growth. Lifting and dividing rhizomes in autumn or early spring increases plants and fills gaps.