Boykinia aconitifolia
Common Name: allegheny brookfoam
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Saxifragaceae
Native Range: Southeastern United States
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 0.50 to 2.50 feet
Spread: 0.75 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to July
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Wet Soil
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist to wet, acidic, rich, well-draining sandy loams in part sun to part shade. Hardy in Zones 5-8. Does not tolerate soil dryness. Does not compete well against other plants.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Boykinia aconitifolia, commonly known as Allegheny brookfoam, is a rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial native to moist, rocky stream banks, lake and pond margins, and other moist woodland areas in the central and southern Appalachians. Mature plants can reach up to 2.5' tall when in bloom and spread via underground rhizomes to fill a 2' area. The basal leaves have toothed lobes and can reach up to 3" long and 5" wide. The flowering stems are dark red to brown in color and topped with branching clusters of small, white flowers that bloom from late spring into summer.
The genus name Boykinia honors Dr. Samuel Boykin (1786-1848), American physician, botanist, and senator who studied and worked in Georgia.
The specific epithet aconitifolia means "leaves like Aconitum", in reference to the similarities between the shape of the leaves of this species and the shape of the leaves of some species in the genus Aconitum.
The common name Allegheny brookfoam refers to both the native range of this species and its preferred stream-side habitats.
Problems
No pest or disease problems have been reported.
Uses
An airy addition to pond margins as well as consistently moist areas of woodland gardens and rock gardens.