Diphylleia grayi

Diphylleia grayi is a little-known mayapple and fairy wing relative, native to moist wooded mountainsides in colder regions of China and Japan. Diphylleia grayi forms clumps of large, fuzzy, green, umbrella-like, bold foliage topped by small clusters of white, mayapple-like flowers in late spring. When it rains on the flowers they magically turn translucent then return to white as they dry. In late summer, the stalks of eye-catching cobalt blue fruit replace the faded flowers. Diphylleia grayi does not like hot summer temperatures so plant it in a cool moist woodland site.