Bowman's Root
Gillenia trifoliata
A froth of small white flowers on wiry red stems in late spring, then orange and burgundy fall foliage. A graceful, long-lived clump for shade edges.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Spring cloud of white flowers, brilliant red fall color, graceful all season -- a four-season native that's chronically under-planted.
Bowman's root is one of the most graceful native perennials for the shade garden. In late spring and early summer, it covers itself in a cloud of small five-petaled white flowers on wiry red stems, creating a frothy, airy display that looks almost like baby's breath floating above the compound foliage. Then, as temperatures drop in fall, the leaves shift to orange and burgundy red, an all-season performer that gives you two distinct high moments each year. The plant forms a long-lived, gradually expanding clump with an open, vase-shaped habit that works well at the edge of shade gardens and woodland borders. It handles part shade to full sun and adapts to dry conditions once established. A genuine four-season perennial that earns its space on horticultural merit alone.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown bowman's root propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 2–3 ft · 24–36 in wide
- Bloom time
- May–June
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Ontario south to Georgia and west to Michigan and Missouri, primarily in mountain woodlands
Care notes for bowman's root.
Full sun to part shade in average, well-drained soil. More drought tolerant than its mountain origins suggest. Does not self-seed aggressively. Cut back to the ground in early spring before new growth emerges. Slow to establish but extraordinarily long-lived once settled.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside bowman's root.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.