Vancouveria hexandra

Common Names

Inside-Out Flower, American Barrenwort, White Inside-Out Flower

Summary

Vancouveria hexandra is a creeping rhizomatous woodland perennial native to the Pacific Northwest, forming a low ground cover in shade. It grows about 6–12 inches tall with green, duck-foot-shaped, compound leaves comprising 9–15 leaflets, and in spring to early summer it bears slender sprays of white flowers on leafless stalks with reflexed petals and sepals that give an inside-out appearance. It spreads slowly via underground rhizomes, making it an ideal understory ground cover for shaded, moist, humus-rich soils. In cultivation it prefers partial to full shade and moist, humus-rich, well-drained soils, tolerating a range of soil types and maintaining moisture in the rooting zone. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–8 and is commonly used as a woodland ground cover or for mass plantings in shaded gardens; it propagates by rhizome division, and seeds can be sown soon after ripe. It provides texture and seasonal interest with green foliage and spring-to-summer white blossoms, making it suitable for shaded borders, woodland settings, and naturalized plantings.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12-18 inches

Spread

12-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade to full shade.

Soil Type

Humus-rich, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fastest-growing

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts honey bees and other pollinators, no information on hummingbirds, butterflies, or birds