Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is a native North American woodland plant that goes by many names: mayflower, mandrake, and my favorite, raccoon berry. And while not a shrub, they are part of the barberry family (Berberidaceae).
Mayapples, Podophyllum peltatum
Each mayapple plant has two large leaves and one flower growing underneath them.
Photograph by Judy Gallagher via Flickr.
The Native Americans used the plant for medicinal purposes, mainly as a purge and to rid themselves of parasites; the plant is extremely poisonous, though, and can be fatal.
Photograph by Jack Pearce via Flickr.
The plant bears a single fruit after blooming, sometime between July and September.
Mayapples are unique looking plants that can be a beautiful point of interest in your native woodland garden during the spring and early summer.
The mayapple appears in our list of Native Perennials for a Shade Garden: 9 Favorites for Cold Climates.
Cheat Sheet
Photograph by Marie Viljoen.
• Mayapples are easily identifiable by their two large leaves that look like a cross between a duck’s foot and an umbrella.
• They can grow between one and two feet tall, and their single white flower is pollinated by bumblebees and butterflies.
• They go dormant in the mid to late summer.
• Due to their toxicity, they are deer-resistant, but the deer will eat the fruit.
• Keep children and animals away from the plant.
• In Florida, they are a protected plant.
• They can be planted under black walnuts since they tolerate juglone.
Photograph by Judy Gallagher via Flickr.
Keep It Alive
En masse, mayapples are an appealing ground cover.
• Mayapples love shade and moisture.
• They enjoy acidic soil and are relatively pest-free.
• They spread by rhizomes and can form large colonies.
• It’s best to purchase a couple of plants from a responsible and reputable source rather than trying to start by seed, which is fairly difficult.