Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Vancouveria planipetala is a species of flowering plant in the barberry family known by the common names redwood inside-out flower and redwood ivy. It is native to southwestern Oregon and northern California, where it occurs in coastal mountain ranges. It grows in forests, especially redwood forests. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb with a short, mostly underground stem. It produces a patch of basal leaves which are each made up of round or heart-shaped leaflets borne on long, reddish petioles. The inflorescence appears in May and June. It is a panicle of flowers on a long, erect peduncle. Each small, drooping flower has six inner sepals which look like petals. They are a few millimeters in length, white, and reflexed back, or upwards, away from the flower center. Lying against the sepals are the smaller true petals, which are white or purple-tinged and flat-tipped or notched. There are six stamens and a large glandular ovary.

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

1 ft Tall

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Color

White, Red

Flowering season

Spring, Summer

Special uses

Groundcover, Lawn alternative

Sun

Deep Shade, Partial Shade

Water

Low, Moderate

Sunset Zones

4, 5*, 6, 7, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*

Plant communities

Forest