Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Achlys triphylla

Vanilla Leaf

At a Glance: Grows low to the ground, spreading by rhizomes to form dense ground cover in shady areas.

Height: To 12 inches (30 cm) tall.
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Stems are straight, thin and wiry (Alden, Paulson).
Leaves: Basal, long-stalked, the blade is divided into 3 horizontally-oriented leaflets. Each leaflet varies from finely and sharply toothed to bluntly lobed (Jacobson). Leaves have vanilla fragrance when dried; size: 4-8 cm (2-3 in) wide; color ranges from light green to green.
Flowers: The flowers which lack sepals and petals have 8-20 long white stamens that form a showy white spike that is positioned above the center point of the leaves; spike size: 2-7 cm (.8-2.75 in) long by 1 cm thick.
Flowering Period: March, April, May, June.
Fruits: Fruits are small, dry, finely hairy and nutlike (achene). They have concave innersides with fleshy, leathery-thickened ridges. Size: 3-45.5 mm; color: dark grey-brown to reddish-purple.


Photo © Heidi Bohan

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
Prefers shady understory. full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: NI (no indicator data)	Sea level to 1500 meters. low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

(data not available)

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Landscape Uses: Can form a dense ground cover in shady gardens.

Suggested References

Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 362.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 168.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 197.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 312.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.