Adoxa moschatellina
moschatel
Europe, northern Asia, and North America
Overview
Adoxa moschatellina, moschatel or town hall clock, is a small, soft-stemmed woodland perennial that grows just 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) tall from a creeping, scaly white rhizome. The pale green leaves are soft and divided into rounded, three-lobed segments, the basal ones long-stalked and fern-like, with a single pair of smaller leaves on the flowering stem. The most recognizable feature is the flower head: five small yellow-green flowers grouped into a cube, four facing outward in different directions and one facing up, like the four faces and top of a clock tower, which gives the plant its English name. Each flower is only about 0.2-0.3 inch (5-8 mm) across. The whole plant carries a faint musky scent, strongest in damp evening air, the source of the name moschatel. It appears in early spring, flowers, sets seed, and dies back by early summer, spending the rest of the year dormant underground. Native across the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere, it grows in damp, shaded woodland, hedge banks, and shady rock ledges on humus-rich soils.
Native Range
Native across the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, northern Asia, and North America. It grows in damp, shaded deciduous woodland, hedge banks, stream sides, and shady rock ledges on moist, humus-rich soils.Suggested Uses
Grown in shady woodland gardens, on damp hedge banks, and among ferns and other spring woodlanders for its early foliage and curious flower heads. It suits naturalistic shade plantings and is too small for open borders.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 6"
Width/Spread4" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowers briefly in early to mid spring, generally April to May, the small yellow-green heads appearing with the new leaves. The faintly scented flowers are pollinated by small flies and can also self-pollinate. Seed ripens quickly and the plant withers by early summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
pale greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
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