Podophyllum delavayi
CHINESE MAYAPPLE
syn. Dysosma delvayi
Family: Berberidaceae
Pronounced: pod-o-FIL-lum del-uh-VAY-ee
Quick Jumps
Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes
GROWING GUIDE

Geographical Origin:
China.
Plant Group:
Perennials.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: Not listed.
USDA zones: 6-10.
Mature size:
Height: 8 inches (20 cm).
Width: 12 inches (20 cm).
Flowering period:
May-June.
Flowering attributes:
Deep red, with 6 petals, 1-inch long flowers in clusters of 2-3 blossoms per stem, followed by apple shaped fruit.
Leaf attributes:
Six deep-lobed, toothed, thick leathery, hairy, 12-inch long leaves with each lobe further divided into 3 lobes. In spring, the green foliage is mottled in rich purple hues and as the leaf ages, the mottling fades to shades of green.
Growth habit:
Creeper.
Light:
Full shade to partial shade.
Soil:
Humus rich, leafy, consistently moist, well-drained soil.
Feeding:
Side dress with leaf mold or compost to keep soil humus rich.
Propagation Methods:
Divide in early spring just as growth resumes, or late summer.
Rainy Side Notes
Those who love shade gardening and outstanding foliage, will enjoy adding this woodland perennial to their gardens. The foliage emerges in beautiful dark purple and opens to reveal variable patterns across the leaves in purple-brown hues, which, over the course of the season slowly fades to mottled shades of green. As with most May apples, the flowers hide under the leaves; however, this species' cluster of flowers grows out of the crotch of paired leaves.
Chinese botanists recognize the genus as Dysosma; until the taxonomists pick a genus and stick with it, I will continue to list this Chinese native as a Podophyllum. I've noted Dysosma as a synonym above. The epithet, delavayi, was named after French botanist Jean Marie Delavay, who collected plants in the Yunnan province in China.

Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton
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