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Podophyllum peltatum
Mayapple, Indian apple, Hog apple, Pomme de mai, Mandrake Root, American Mandrake, Wild Mandrake, Ground Lemon

Photo by Cure Nursery

The Mayapple is a foot-tall herbaceous perennial that grows in open mixed deciduous hardwood forests and alluvial woodlands and meadows in much of eastern U.S. It is valued for what it does best, which is to form dense colonies in part to full shade, usually from the rhizomes of a single plant, though it can also spread by seed. You would never know that these plants flower in April and May: they coyly hide their flowers, which are quite showy, away from general view under their palmately lobed, parasol-like foliage. Mayapple is a spring ephemeral, going dormant by mid- to late-summer and reappearing only the next spring. Turtles eat the fruit. The rhizome is known as Mandrake Root, and is sold on the internet for its “Magical attributes: protection, fertility, money, love, and health”.

Last Updated: May 28, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Podophyllum peltatum L.
Common Names: Mayapple, Indian apple, Hog apple, Pomme de mai, Mandrake Root, American Mandrake, Wild Mandrake, Ground Lemon
Family Name: Berberidaceae (Barberry Family)
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Uses: Naturalizing, Groundcover
Light Requirement: Dappled sun, Full shade-bright, Partial/shady
Moisture Requirement: Medium, Moist well drained
Bloom Times: May
Flower Color: White
Special Characteristics: Medicinal value, Edible fruit (in jams), Rhizomatous, Tolerates dry conditions, Spring ephemeral

Additional Info

Habit: Rhizomatous colony, usually from a single plant; each plant is comprised of either one or two upright stems topped by palmately lobed, ubrella-like leaf; no basal rosette.
Height: 1' - 1.5'
Spread: 1'
Growth Rate: Moderate to slow
Soil Conditions: Rich, moist, humusy, well drained; acid-based, sandy, sandy loam, medium loam.
Leaves: Each plant rises 12-18 inches from the earth, with one or two deeply lobed palmately divided leaves supported like umbrellas.
Flowers (or reproductive structures): Plants with two leaves will bear one, 1-2-inch, nodding, white (sometimes pinkish), 6-9 petaled flower, terminal between the two leaves.
Fruit: The flower develops into a fleshy, yellow-green (sometimes red), edible seed pod ("apple"), technically a berry, in May/June and is desired by many forms of wildlife. The ripened fruit can be used to make preserves and jellies, though other plant parts are not so benign.
Natural Distribution: Open woods, shaded slopes in both moist and dry decidous woodlands.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: FACU
Pollination: bees, butterflys, other insects
Wildlife Connections: Mayapple is obligately dependent upon soil mycorrhizae. The fruit is edible and highly desired by animals.
Pharmacology: All parts of this plant are poisonous, including the fruit until it is ripe. Even then the seeds are poisonous.The Mayapple, including the rhizome, has been used by American Indians for a variety of medicinal purposes (see Wikipedia).
Cultural Notes: Grows under deciduous hardwoods, not under pines. Do not mix with other plants, as it does not like competition. Turtles love it!
Propagation: The easiest way to propagate is by root division while the plant is dormant. Divide the rhizomes in fall with at least one bud. Seeds should be planted immediately or they will need to be treated.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov
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Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

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