Native plants for a Cape Cod garden

Another pleasant surprise: My twinleaf is blooming! Not only was I sceptical about that particular prospect (after all, the plant had not bloomed in two years, maybe due to soil conditions), I was also thoroughly thrown by the speed. The plants had some leaves yesterday. 24 hours later, after a warmish spring day, a long stem with flower has appeared on every one of the twinleaf plants. Maybe the addition of blackboard chalk and oyster shells amended the soil enough to make this happen. It’s always nice to see theory in action, but most likely I had nothing to do with it.

This member of the barberry (Berberidaceae) family blooms from April to May, so it is somewhat of a shortlived bloomer. However, the leaves are visible throughout the summer and fall. It likes moist open woods, and it can be found from Ontario down to Alabama and Georgia on the Eastern side of the Mississippi (Zone 5 to 8). It is not natively found in New England, but since it is endangered or threatened in our neighboring state of New York I decided to give it a try in my woodland garden. I planted it amongst wild ginger, trillium and sensitive fern. There is only one other plant in this genus, Jeffersonia dubia, which is to be found in Japan. The plant was named after Thomas Jefferson by his friend and botanist William Bartram.

The plant had some medicinal uses back in the day: American Indians used a root tea for cramps, spasms, nervous excitability, diarrhea, kidney stones, dropsy, urinary infections, gargle for sore throats. The plant most likely has some toxicity.

Propagating twinleaf is best done by dividing the roots once it has been established for some time, and after it has spread. The plant generates seeds, but ants will get them before you do. You will probably see the plant germinate throughout your woodland garden because of those insects.

I will add some pictures in the next day or so. I came home too late to get that accomplished today!

Scientific name:	Jeffersonia diphylla
Common name:	twinleaf
Other name:	helmet pod, ground squirrel pea
Bloom time:	April to May
Color:	white
Light requirements:	shade
Zone:	5 to 8
Soil:	mildly acidic to mildly alkaline
Water:	moist
Origin:	eastern US, not New England