Piggyback Plant

Tolmiea menziesii

Plant Description

Piggyback plant is a perennial groundcover native to moist forests and shaded streambanks of the Pacific Northwest. It forms clumps of soft, hairy, lobed leaves and sends up slender stems topped with small, reddish-brown to greenish flowers in late spring to summer. A distinctive feature of this species is its ability to produce plantlets at the base of mature leaves, giving the plant its common name. Ecologically, piggyback plant contributes to understory diversity, stabilizes soils in damp habitats, and provides cover for small invertebrates, while its unique reproductive strategy makes it an interesting and resilient component of forest ecosystems. It also makes a great houseplant.

Plant Details

Life Forms	Forb Groundcover
Habitats	Bottomland forests Conifer forests Floodplains Forest edges Forest openings Forest plantations Forest understories Forests Gardens Little Habitats Mixed hardwood-conifer forests Parklands Residential yards Riparian areas Riparian forests Seeps Wet prairies Woodlands
Soil and Moisture Conditions	Moist
Special Uses	Attracts hummingbirds Attracts pollinators and or other beneficial insects Blooms April Blooms July Blooms June Blooms May Deciduous Erosion control Flowering Flowers blue/purple Flowers pink Flowers red Good for shady woodland garden Good groundcover Herbaceous Ornamental Perennial Produces nectar Produces pollen Produces seeds Provides soil stabilization Provides wildlife habitat
Shade Preference	Full shade Part shade
Mature Height	10”