Eastern Waterleaf is a tall (1 to 2 feet), upright, herbaceous perennial, wildflower in the waterleaf family that is native to the moist woodlands of eastern Canada and the United States, including the Piedmont and mountains of North Carolina. It spreads by rhizomes and seeds to form large colonies. Blooming occurs in early spring to July with small, white to lilac, bell-shaped flowers in clusters on 4 inch long stalks that attract bees. Lower leaves up to 10 inches long are deeply divided into 5 to 7 sharply and coarsely toothed green leaflets (deep lobes); leaflets on the upper leaves are not as deeply cut. The young leaves of spring have a mottled white pattern, as if the leaf were spotted with water, that later leaves do not have. The genus name is from the Greek hydor meaning water and phyllon meaning leaf in reference to markings on plant leaves. The species name is in reference to Virginia being part of the native territory for this plant. Eastern Waterleaf prefers fertile, consistently moist, well-drained soil in partial sun to light shade. It will tolerate wet soil and can spread aggressively under ideal conditions. This plant can make a care-free ground cover in shady woodland settings or the margins of ponds or streams. Foliage is occasionally browsed by deer. The plant can be propagated by dividing the rhizome in the fall when the plant is dormant, making sure that each division has a leaf bud and some roots. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Its aggressive spreading habit does not make this an ideal planting in a small garden. No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
The oval to triangular leaves are up to 6 inches long (and often wider than long) and are pinnately divided into 3 to 5 leaflets or deep, narrow, lobes with coarsely toothed margins. The tips are acute. The early spring leaves have small patches of white scattered across the upper surfaces giving a watermark look.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Bell; Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
One to two terminal cymes on each stem with 8 to 20 small lavender, pink or white bell-shaped flowers 1 to 2 inches across with extruded stamens. Blooms from March to June. The flowering stalks (or peduncles) of these cymes are up to 4 inches long, terete and glabrous to short-pubescent.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Each flower is replaced by a rounded seed capsule that splits open to release its seeds in July to August.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Branching sparingly, the erect stems are green, reddish-green, or reddish-brown, glabrous to slightly hairy, with hairs that are curved or appressed against their stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern North America
Distribution
AR , CT , DC , DE , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , MA , MD , MI , MN , MO , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SD , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV
Wildlife value
Its flowers attract bumblebees, small carpenter bees as well as other long-tongued bees.
Attracts
Bees; Pollinators
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Shoots
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Young leaves and shoots are edible and can be added to salads.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Tea from the roots was used medicinally to stop bleeding and for diarrhea and dysentery. Roots have been used as a mild emetic. Tea or mashed roots were used to treat cracked lips and mouth sores.