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Scoliopus spp.
fetid adderstongue
Overview
Scoliopus is a genus of two herbaceous woodland perennials in the family Liliaceae, native to the Pacific coast of North America: S. bigelovii in California and S. hallii in Oregon. Plants grow 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall from a short rhizome, producing a pair of broad, ground-level leaves 3-8 inches (8-20 cm) long that are mottled with purple-brown blotches. In late winter and early spring, slender stalks carry flowers with three narrow, mottled purple-brown petals and three greenish sepals, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across. The flowers give off a musty, fly-attracting scent rather than a sweet one. After flowering the stalks lengthen and bend to the ground, placing the seed capsules at soil level for ants to disperse. Plants go dormant by early summer. They grow in cool, shaded, moist forest and decline in dry or sunny sites.
Native Range
Native to the Pacific coast of North America, with S. bigelovii in the coastal forests of California and S. hallii in the Cascade and Coast ranges of Oregon. Grows in moist, shaded redwood and mixed conifer forest, along streams, and in seepage areas.Suggested Uses
Grown in shaded woodland and fern gardens and in moist, shaded rock gardens, spaced 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) apart. The early flowers and mottled leaves suit naturalistic shade plantings. Summer dormancy leaves gaps that are filled with later-emerging shade plants.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Green mottled with purple-brownGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight