Boykinia major

Common Names

Mountain Boykinia, Mountain Brookfoam, Large Boykinia

Summary

Boykinia major is a rhizomatous perennial herb in the Saxifragaceae family native to the western United States, including California, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. It forms a stout plant 0.5–1.3 m tall with basal reniform or cordate leaves on long petioles (9–50 cm long; 7–18 cm wide) that are lobed with toothed margins; cauline leaves carry conspicuous stipules. The dense, flat-topped inflorescence bears many small white flowers with 2–5 mm calyx lobes and 5–7 mm petals, flowering from June to July.

In cultivation, Boykinia major grows from short rhizomes and prefers shaded to partial shade with consistently moist soil. It is occasionally grown in gardens and can serve as an understory plant or groundcover in moist, shady landscapes, particularly in wet woodlands and along margins of lakes, ponds, and watercourses.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

1-3 feet

Spread

12-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4b-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Consistently moist, organic-rich soil

Soil Drainage

Consistently moist soil

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Summer to Fall

Foliage Color

Bright green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast growing

Seasons of Interest

Summer and Fall

Propagation Methods

Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other insect pollinators