Scientific name: Podophyllum peltatum

Yes, people will think they grow into apple trees when you talk about them, but no, they do not grow into trees at all. Actually, they rarely grow beyond 11 inches tall. They hide a very handsome flower underneath their equally interesting umbrella-like leaves. They do really well in heavily shaded areas, and come up early in the season. The one fallback is that they don’t make it through the summer, but they will rise again the following spring!

They’re supposed to be deer resistant unless you have desperate deer (which we do in our area). Some were eaten this year, but many of the rest were left alone.