Mitella caulescens

Common Names

Creeping Mitewort, Creeping Miterwort, Creeping Mitrewort, Leafy Mitrewort, Leafy-Stemmed Mitrewort, Slightstemmed Miterwort

Summary

Mitella caulescens is a perennial herb in the Saxifragaceae family native to western North America from British Columbia and Montana south to California and Idaho. It grows with stems 15–35 cm tall and leaves 2–5 cm wide that are suborbicular and shallowly 3- to 5-lobed with dentate margins. An inflorescence of 5–20 cup-shaped flowers matures from the top down; flowers have a 3–4 mm calyx with spreading lobes, petals 3–4 mm long with 3–5 pairs of lobes, and five stamens opposite the sepals. The fruit is a capsule half exposed above the hypanthium, and flowering occurs May–July. It occurs in wet, shaded habitats at elevations below 1700 meters.

In cultivation, it prefers moist, shaded sites reflecting its wet-forest and creekside origins, and occurs in valley to montane environments below 1700 meters. This combination of modest stature and preferred moisture makes it suitable for shaded woodland borders and naturalistic plantings that emphasize native flora.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-12 inches

Spread

24 inches-6 feet

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Shade, tolerates Partial Sun and Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained, rich soil

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soil.

Bloom Color

Pale yellow-green

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green, mid- to dark-green, pea-green

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow

Growth Rate

Medium

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds