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Vancouveria hexandra

Inside-out Flower

At a Glance: Rhizomatous perennial with small white flowers and delicate leaves.

Height: 16 inches (40 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Stalks are brownish-hairy near the base.
Leaves: Leaves are twice divided into 3's with 9-15 heart to egg-shaped leaflets. Leaflets are sparsely hairy, delicate. Leaf size: 10-40 cm; color: dull green.
Flowers: 6 petals and 6 sepals bent backwards and flaring; stamens finely purplish-glandular-hairy; 10-30 flowers on slender stalks in open panicles; size: 2 cm; shape: shooting star.
Flowering Period: May, June, July.
Fruits: Purplish-glandular-hairy follicles with several black seeds nearly covered by a fleshy outgrowth; size: 1 cm long.


Photo © 2004, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

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
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Insects: Seeds are sometimes dispersed by wasps and ants.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Landscape Uses: Nice leaf texture as a ground cover.
Name Info: Named after the explorer Captain George Vancouver; hexandra is for the 6 stamens exposed by the inside-out flower.

Suggested References

Alden, P., D. Paulson. 1998. National Audubon Society, Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. Chanticleer Press. Page 138.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 364.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 143.
Kruckeberg, A.R. 1996. 2nd ed. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 180.
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.