Jeffersonia diphylla

Jeffersonia diphylla is a small perennial native to cool North American woodlands. This hardy plant it noted for its decorative foliage and early spring flowering. It slowly spreads on the ground, forming a beautiful carpet of bright green leaves divided into two identical leaflets. Its small star-shaped white flowers emerge from the ground in early spring, before the appearance of new leaves. An elegant ground cover to dress the base of deciduous trees and shrubs or partially shaded rockeries, in moist soil.

Jeffersonia diphylla belongs to the Berberidaceae family, the same family as epimediums or fairy wings. It is a deciduous perennial native to the eastern United States, found in an area ranging from Minnesota to New York and south to Tennessee. It is found in deciduous forests, most often in ravines or on moist rocky slopes, in soils with a tendency towards limestone. It is a non-invasive creeping rhizomatous plant, which slowly forms 10cm (4in) tall carpets. The flowering occurs in April, before deciduous trees leaf out. Small flowers emerge from the ground. They are cup-shaped, 2.5cm (1in) in diameter, and composed of 8 pure white petals, surrounding a yellow heart. The foliage emerges directly from the rhizome and soil, usually just after flowering. The young shoots are tinged with bronze and brown. They unfold into leaves divided into two perfectly identical semi-ovate leaflets, arranged symmetrically with respect to the petiole. The curious fruit is a green pear-shaped capsule with a jointed top. The fruits ripen in summer. The plant reaches a height of 45cm (18in) and enters dormancy during this fruiting period. The seeds are dispersed by ants through a process known as myrmecochory. 

Jeffersonia diphylla thrives in partially shaded conditions, under deciduous trees, in humus-rich, moisture-retentive soils. This allows it to be used to dress the base of deciduous trees and shrubs. It is hardy to at least -15°C (5°F) and enjoys both sun in spring and shade in summer. This perennial pairs well with fairy wings, liverworts, hellebores, ferns, cyclamen, trilliums, and Japanese anemones.