Very beautiful - have tried twinleaf a coupla times but they don't seem to come back after a dry summer in my soil...even in shadier spots. Also on the 'fail list' (to my dismay) glaucidium palmatum, claytonia virginia, and podophyllum. Some things are not meant to be (sigh).

Oh yeah...not to mention hepaticas, mertensia...

Otoh, all the woodland poppies do well, the stylophorums and eomecon so...

This is a wonderful plant, I have two different forms of it, one is called 'Putnam's Blue' and the other is the regular species. 'Putnam's Blue' has slightly smaller foliage and has a darker stigma and ovaries in the center of the flower. My plants are planted fairly close together in hopes that they will cross pollinate and the seedlings will show some variation. I haven't found any seedlings but the plants always make plenty of seed pods - possibly ants or other insects are taking away the seeds and eating them?

One of the important things that I have learned about this plant is that it can not be divided for propagation. I learned the hard way many years ago when I had a nice sized clump, dug it up while dormant and carefully cut it into several pieces. None of them survived. Dividing this plant will kill it every time. The only successful way to propagate it is to grow it from seed. Maybe this year I will watch the ripening seed pods and collect the seed before it is dispersed.

The last thing about this plant is its name. Our native form, Jeffersonia diphylla was named after Thomas Jefferson who grew it at Monticello - I have an affinity for this plant because my real name is Jeff. For some reason taxonomists have changed its name to Plagiorhegma dubia which doesn't roll off the tongue like Jeffersonia dubia. It is still a very desirable plant, whatever its Latin name currently is!

These are my two plants of Jeffersonia dubia leafing out this spring, the 'Putnams' variety is in front of the regular species.

One of my very spring favorites. It will always be Jeffersonia to me. I didnt know about name change, but will ignore it, like so many other name changes! 😀 THANK YOU for the info that it can’t be divided. That is veryvkey to know.

Wow, that is a gorgeous plant! I don't believe I've ever seen it on the bench, or maybe I did and just didn't know what it was. I'm going to be on the lookout for it now. I love purple flowers of all shades.

Ok @FrozeBudd_z3/4, please mail this along asap ;).

@FrozeBudd_z3/4 that is a beauty! I wish I could find one

So beautiful!! I got plants this year and now I am even happier about it than I was, if that is possible. As usual you will have a lot of folks here inspired.

Question: Is the Jeffersonia anything like Diphylleia cymosa? I have diphylleia and I'll tell you it's nigh impossible to keep it looking good all season. Love it but it's a mess by mid-summer, even a hint of dryness and it's toast.

Very cute plant, I will have to look for it.

Rosa, my list of "failed" plants and those I can't even dream of attempting in this often wretched zone 3 would have most saying, "Why don't you just MOVE!". I do though have success with some hepatics that seed about a bit. My buddy David, he's always drawn in by the exotic, he's growing some of the very expensive Japanese double hepatics, tells me the blooms are ridiculously very small!.

Jeb/ Jeff :), thanks much for the caution of NOT dividing these, as had been considering just that! The only seedlings to have appeared have developed under the shady canopy of the mother plant, these I'll gently tease and lift up. Oh, that name change is brutal, I'll stick to Jeffersonia! 'Putnam's' you're showing there certainly does have attractive foliage! I don't know of your ant species, though seems the ants here don't much bother with them.

Mxk3, yes, it's a welcome glorious bit of spring color. With being a native American wildflower, I'm unsure as to way it's not more widely available, seems easy enough of culture, heck if it can survive my climate that's saying something! I'm not familiar with Diphylleia cymosa, though Jeffersonia dubia develops good waxy foliage substance to help it endure heat and drought.

Forever_a_newbie, am fortunate my collector buddy passed this plant along, apparently it's not widely grown or even known.

Peren.all, you're too kind! I believe you'll be impressed, it loves deeply prepared soil of average moisture. As mentioned, the foliage holds up well during the summer and one is not looking at a brown fizzled out plant.

Rouge, yes, this is the one that had forgotten to jump into the parcel I mailed to you, I have seedlings I'll let develop for the season before passing along in autumn, am sure they'll bloom for you next spring.

Jeffersonia is in the barberry family Berberidaceae same as Diphylea, Podophyllum, Epimedium and Berberis. Diphylea cymosa and D. grayi grow in cool, moist mountain forests in the Appalachians and in Asia. It's amazing that they can survive at all at lower levels in the midwest.

Im curious about how long the petals of Plagiorhegma dubia stay attached. The native Twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla has a reputation for loosing it's petals quickly after blooming. Simply breathing on them can knock petals off Lol.

Twinleaf, Jeffersonia diphylla. 4/1/24

Fortunate to catch these with petals intact. Unfortunate to reach them in late afternoon when they had already closed for the day.

Here is mine from last spring ...

I see it this year too, showing signs of life even though the snow just melted off - I hope it continues to survive and grow like yours, it's so nice to have such an early charmer here! I bought mine from Plant Delights, maybe since it can't be divided I'll splurge and buy another one for my more protected areas.

Be still my heart! Talk about a perfect plant! Love the bloom shape, color and foliage!! 😍

Pretty foliage and pretty flowers. It sounds like my area might be too dry and hot for it, but it’s good to see something different that I’ve never heard of before.

As usual you will have a lot of folks here inspired.

Or frustrated for those that at first web search can't source it!

Lat62, sure is a very sweet little thing isn't it! This spring, your plant might be established enough to set some seed, collect and scratch into the surface and you may end up with a good number of seedlings.

Jay, I'd say with coolish temperatures individual blooms last about a week, though shatter much more quickly in the heat.

Mazerolm, unlike many spring blooming plants, this one maintains lovely foliage the entire season, at least for me it does.

Sandyslopes, the durability impressed me of it sitting in baking sun of a western exposure, sure it wasn't as happy as it could have been, though still a trouper!

Rouge, I'll ease your frustration this autumn that you have the plant to enjoy in your spring '25 garden.

Here's an excellent resource upon the species

North American Rock Garden Society

Thanks Frozebud, I'll keep an eye out for seedlings for sure!

In my enthusiasm, I already ordered another one from edelweiss.com

(sure wish these companies would ship to Canada - at least they ship to Alaska... I am often excluded, which is a bummer when that happens)

Jeb, thanks for that, I'll definitely resist temptation to divide and wait until early autumn to carefully dig the seedlings from the base of the plant. I just remembered, I have seed collected from last summer and these now placed in baggie with some Promix to give stratification, hopefully will yet have time this season to grow on a bit, will keep potted to better enable tending them.

Lat, yes, the frustration of "Sorry, we do not ship outside of the continuous US and also we do not ship to Canada." Am glad though you have secured another plant and I hope it shows some variation to the one you have. Maybe, with my sowing a good quantity of seed, a few might show a bit of difference between them.