Zone: 3 to 9

Soil: sand to clay

Light: part sun to shade

Bloom colour: Purple, pink and white

Bloom period: June

Height: 1 to 2 feet

Moisture: medium to moist

Attracts: Bees

Notes: Waterleafs are characterised by flowers with medium length corollas and clusters of flowers called cymes. Virginia waterleaf tends to have purplish flowers while H. canadense has white flowers. The flowers on H. canadense are more attractive but H. virginianum is of special interest due to its ability to attract bumblebees. It is in bloom at the beginning of the summer and you will be able to observe both queens and worker bumblebees obtaining nectar from the flowers.

Hydrophyllum canadense is the most beautiful of the waterleafs with attractive foliage and compact flower clusters. It totally resents direct sun and too much exposure results in a yellowing of the leaves and overall tattered look. This plant forms a fibrous root mat so it does not play fair with other surrounding plants. To get best results within a mixed border, use a root barrier to define the space in which the plant should grow. The plant also reseeds itself quite vigorously and a small amount of timely weeding is necessary to remove seedlings as they appear. This plant is only about one foot tall and should be placed at the front of the border.

H. virginianum is a fairly attractive woodland species that can tolerate some direct sunshine. Like H. canadense, it also forms a root mat and it reseeds itself quite well. Below is a picture of the plant looking at its best in the latter part of spring. By the end of July, it will look a bit ragged. This species is taller than H. canadense and therefore grows well next to plants of similar height like Geranium. Like other waterleafs, you will need to stop it from spreading during its peak period of growth.

There is a third species, H. appendiculatum, that is native to Ontario, parts of the midwestern and north eastern USA. It is an attractive biennial that will reseed itself. Its ability to attract pollinators has not been assessed.