The Plant Store is now closed for 2023 and will re-open for sales in May of 2024

  • Please see the Using the Plant Library  page  for some tips on how to make the most of the information here to select species for creating a healthy native plant community suited to the conditions of your site.

Mitella diphylla, Bishop’s Cap 

Mitella diphylla 

Bishop’s Cap

  • Partial shade preferred
  • Rich to average soil
  • 12” to 24” tall. 8” to 16” wide
  • Ontario Native, Beginner Friendly, Thrives in Woodland and Forest ecosystems.

Blooming at the same season as Woodland Phlox and Wild Geranium, this woodland species thrives in the same conditions, enjoying dappled to full sun in the spring and a bit of shade from the hot summer sun.

They like a rich woodland soil and consistent moisture best, but do just fine in my dry-in-the-summer backyard. They form a mound of foliage, somewhat reminiscent of Tiarella, but are slower to spread in my experience, tending to stay put and grow fairly slowly.

Their flowers are held in airy spires that show off their fringed, snowflake like form in mid to late May.

Their foliage holds up well through the summer, rather than going dormant when the heat hits, which can make them a lovely companion to spring ephemerals like Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) and Trilliums.

In addition to Phlox and Geranium, these would be lovely alongside Columbines, Sedges, Alumroot and Violets.

I find that their foliage grows to around 12” tall, with the flowers rising well above that, to as high as 30”. While not common in garden centers, this is a species that I think would do well in a lot of urban garden settings.

Species that were not sown / aren't being sown for 2023 are marked with an * 
Species that are native to this continent, but not historically native to Ontario are marked with a ~ 
While it rarely comes up, I do reserve the right to limit plant quantities, mostly to help ensure that as many native plant gardens as possible become a reality
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