Description
Western waterleaf is a beloved wildflower of the American West with a range that extends from California, to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. It is a perennial wildflower in the waterleaf (Hydrophyllaceae) plant family that has a subtle beauty. Growing from a slowly spreading rhizome, western waterleaf has long, compound green leaves with lobed leaflets. The dense flower clusters (cymes) rise above the leaves on an erect stem and are comprised of white to lavender, bell-shaped individual flowers that are up to a centimeter wide. The flowers have five petals, a split style and five purple stamens that protrude beyond the petals. In flower, western waterleaf will grow 1-2′ tall. Bloom time varies depending on elevation, but generally starts in April at lower elevations, and continues into July at higher elevations. The stems will lower as the flowers fade and produce spherical capsules that contain two brown seeds. Western waterleaf’s reproduction is primarily sexual, through seeds, but they can also propagate vegetatively through rhizomes.
Hydrophyllum is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the Hydrophyllaceae plant family. There are ten species of Hydrophyllum, and they are all native to North America. The generic epithet Hydrophyllum (Hydro = water and phyllum = leaf) in Greek means “waterleaf,” which has remained the common name for the species in this genus, including western waterleaf. Most of the species in this genus are found in areas of mesic or moist soil, and the same is predominantly true for western waterleaf as well, although it may have more drought tolerance than some of the other species in this genus. It is also thought that the name can also come from the pale spotting that sometimes occurs on the leaves, that are reminiscent of water drops.
Western waterleaf grows in a variety of habitats from low to high elevations, including moist pockets in oak woodlands, chaparral slopes, mixed conifer forests, pine forest, mountain meadows, streambanks, and it can tolerate serpentine soils. It is most often found in shaded or partly shaded areas, but it can grow in full sun, and will explode with abundant growth and flowers following wildfire.
This species is very attractive to a wide variety of pollinators.
Western waterleaf (Hydrophyllum occidentale) seed packets contain approximately 50 seeds per packet.
Seed Germination Instructions
No pretreatment is necessary for western waterleaf seeds. You can sow the seeds outside in fall to early spring.
Please note: The seeds of western waterleaf don’t store for long, so sow them within the first year of purchase for best germination results.
