© Phyzome, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA) · Wikimedia Commons
Hydrastis spp.
Overview
Hydrastis spp. is a small genus in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, grown as the single North American species H. canadensis, goldenseal, of rich deciduous woodland in eastern Canada and the eastern United States. It is a low woodland perennial 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) tall that grows from a knotted, bright yellow rhizome. Each flowering stem carries two palmately lobed, sharply toothed leaves 4-9 inches (10-23 cm) wide, one larger than the other, both hairy and deeply veined. In spring a single small flower opens at the stem tip with no petals, showing instead a tuft of greenish-white stamens that lasts only a few days. By midsummer it ripens into a cluster of small, red, raspberry-like fruit that is not edible. The yellow rhizome contains the alkaloids berberine and hydrastine and has a long history of medicinal use, which has led to heavy wild harvesting and conservation concern across much of its range. The plant needs cool, shaded, humus-rich conditions and spreads slowly by rhizome, so colonies take years to build and recover poorly once dug.
Native Range
Native to rich, moist deciduous woodland of eastern North America, from southern Ontario and Vermont west to Minnesota and south to Georgia and Arkansas.Suggested Uses
Grown in woodland and native-plant gardens, shaded borders, and conservation plantings in cool climates. It suits the front of a shaded, moist bed among ferns and other woodland perennials. It is also grown in small plots as a medicinal-root crop.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 1'
Width/Spread8" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in spring, about April to May, as the leaves expand. The petalless flower shows a short-lived tuft of white stamens for only a few days. Red raspberry-like fruit follows and ripens by midsummer.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
GreenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Tolerates up to 3 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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Hydrastis spp. grows in full to part shade in cool, moist, humus-rich woodland soil with a thick leaf-litter layer. It needs steady moisture and a slightly acidic to neutral soil and fails in dry, compacted, or sun-exposed sites. Plants are hardy through cold northern winters and go dormant by late summer. A yearly top-dressing of leaf mould feeds the shallow rhizome and keeps the surface cool. Growth is slow, and divisions or seed take several years to form a flowering clump. Cultivated plants are raised from nursery seed or rhizome rather than dug from the wild, where populations recover poorly.Pruning
No routine pruning is needed. Spent foliage is left to die back in late summer, then cleared once dormant. Fruit can be removed before it ripens if seed is not wanted.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons