Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Hydrangeaceae

Genus:

Whipplea

Species:

Whipplea modesta

USDA Symbol:

WHMO

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Subshrub

Height:

30 cm

Light Requirements:

Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white

Ground Cover:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from rhizomes following fire; common in post-fire understory communities.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

commonly found in shaded forest understories

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds require cold stratification and may germinate erratically over several weeks.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI