Syneilesis aconitifolia

(aka: Senecio aconitifolius) I flipped (not literally) back in the 1980s when I first saw Syneilesis aconitifolia at the US National Arboretum, only later to rediscover it in the wilds of Korea. Syneilesis aconitifolia is a woodland Asteraceae (ligularia relative), native to dry hillsides in China, Japan, and Korea. As shredded umbrella plants emerge in early spring, the white wooly leaves push through the ground like mayapples...or more appropriately, like shredded umbrellas after a hurricane. The exquisite foliage of Syneilesis aconitifolia flattens out atop 18" stems by mid-spring. Expect a decent-sized colony as the rhizomes slowly spread (2' wide in 5-7 years). Small pink and mauve flowers are held in clusters on slender stems that bounce in the wind above the clump of foliage in spring. While they appear insignificant, the flowers are lightly fragrant.