Tolmiea menziesii aka Piggyback Plant or Youth on Age (kudos to those who named it!), was popular as a houseplant many years back, and now seems to be gaining popularity as a ground-cover. It does indeed make a lovely indoor plant as it trails beautifully out of pots and baskets, but we like it even more in the garden because it fills a niche that is often hard to satisfy--groundcovers for shade. The impetus behind the names is quite obvious when you note the new leaves stacking on top of the old!

Gerald D. Carr & Norman Jensen Courtesy of OregonFlora.org, Dana Owen.

Tolmiea looks a lot like Tiarella, a favorite native groundcover of ours, but Tolmiea tends to spread more vigorously. A hardy perennial in WNC, it develops into a lush patch that remains green from early spring through early to mid winter. Piggyback LOVES humidity, so we definitely have that going for us in WNC, but it also loves moist, fertile, well-drained soil... which can be a challenge for many of us. If you happen to have some rich, humusy forest floor gardens, especially along streams or ponds, you're likely to have great luck naturalizing Tolmiea, but otherwise you may need to amend for better drainage and moisture retention (our mushroom compost is a great option). The stalks of spring blooms are teensy (yet stunning when viewed up close), so the foliage is the main event.

Tolmiea menziessi

• Perennial (z6-9) part-full shade, 1' tall, 1-2' wide

• Woodland beauty native to the Pacific Northwest with an unusual habit -- baby plantlets 'sprout' from the center of mature leaves

• Tall stalks of modest maroon flowers bloom in spring

• Lush groundcover for shady areas; thrives in consistently moist, well-drained soil

Pro Tip: If growing as a houseplant/indoors, note that mealybugs find it especially tempting... check for pests regularly to avoid an outbreak (not a concern outdoors due to all of the natural predators).