Common Name: Tibetan ypsilandra
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Melanthiaceae
Native Range: Eastern China, Taiwan
Zone: 7 to 9
Height: 1.00 to 1.50 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 1.50 feet
Bloom Time: March to May
Bloom Description: White aging to pink
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist, well-draining, rich, humusy loams in part shade. Reliably hardy in USDA Zones 7-9. May be hardy in Zone 6 with extra winter protection.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Ypsilandra thibetica is a herbaceous, rhizomatous perennial native to moist, forested hillsides and valley slopes in southern China and Taiwan. Mature clumps will reach 1.5' tall with an equal spread. The low to gently arching, oblanceolate foliage will reach around 5.5" long and 2" wide and form a basal rosette. Flowering scapes reaching around 1.5' tall bloom in spring bearing a terminal, spike-like raceme of 5-30 flowers. The pendulous, fragrant flowers reach around 0.5" long and are white aging to pink. They have showy stamens that extend outside the blooms and are tipped with blue anthers.
The genus name Ypsilandra comes from Greek meaning "Y-shaped anthers".
The specific epithet thibetica means "of Tibet".
Problems
No major pest or disease problems reported.
Uses
Shady border fronts, woodland gardens, path edger.