Overview
Medeola virginiana is a slender woodland perennial in the lily family, growing 12-30 inches (30-75 cm) tall from a short, white, brittle rhizome that smells and tastes of cucumber. The unbranched stem carries one whorl of 5-9 lance-shaped leaves partway up; flowering plants add a second, smaller whorl of 3-5 leaves at the top. In late spring to early summer, nodding greenish-yellow flowers with strongly recurved tepals and reddish stamens hang on thread-like stalks from the upper whorl. By late summer these become dark purple to blue-black berries held above the upper leaves, whose bases often flush red. Medeola virginiana spreads slowly by seed and by the rhizome, forming scattered colonies in the deep shade of moist, acidic woodland. The crisp rhizome was eaten by Indigenous peoples and tastes like cucumber, though digging it kills the plant. It grows slowly, depends on rich woodland conditions, and does not tolerate disturbance, drought, or full sun, which makes it uncommon and hard to cultivate.
Native Range
Medeola virginiana is native to eastern North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and Louisiana. It grows in moist, acidic, humus-rich deciduous and mixed woodland, usually in deep to partial shade.Suggested Uses
Grown by native-plant and woodland gardeners as a shade plant for moist, acidic beds, established only from propagated stock. Its whorled leaves and nodding flowers add quiet interest to woodland gardens. It is also of ethnobotanical interest for its cucumber-flavored rhizome, historically eaten in small amounts.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 2'6"
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in late spring to early summer, about May to June, with the small nodding flowers hanging beneath the upper leaf whorl for a week or two. Flies and small bees act as pollinators. The dark berries ripen by late summer and are taken by birds and small mammals.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 1-4 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