Yellowroot

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Full Sun

(At Least 3 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

1-3 Feet

Mature Spread

2-4 Feet

Growing Zones

3 to 9

Yellowroot may be the most versatile groundcover that you have never heard about. It is native to the eastern half of North America and has been used as a medicinal plant for generations. The ground cover aspect is why gardeners like to grow Yellowroot. This shrubby plant has lovely dissected leaves that turn fantastic shades of purple and red in the fall. The early spring flowers appear before the foliage and are great at attracting native pollinators like a magnet.

Yellowroot is generally found in and along the edges of shady woodland forests. This makes it a great addition to a woodland, Rain Garden or Shady ornamental scheme. It can be used to bridge the space between a wet area of the garden and a drier spot. Yellowroot can also serve as erosion control when planted on a slope.

Yellowroot Care

Yellowroot grows best in a shade to partly shaded areas that have acidic soil. Well drained and consistently moist soil is preferred. After establishing, this ground hugging shrub will tolerate periods of drought. Yellowroot grows from underground suckers and spreads readily in even the poorest of soil.

Light pruning may be needed early in the spring to get rid of any winter damaged growth. Fertilizing is not necessary. Over feeding Yellowroot will result in very dense, weak growing foliage that is more susceptible to pests and disease. Mulching lightly in the early spring is a better way to feed this shrub. The nutrients in organic compost will slowly release into the soil over the course of a year. The best way to propagate this groundcover is by division of the roots. Dividing every 2-3 years will reinvigorate Yellowroot to continue forming dense mats of foliage, which are excellent for weed suppression. 

Yellowroot Spacing

Yellowroot is mainly planted as a ground cover and should be planted in large groups to cover the intended area quickly and suppress any potential weeds. The mature height is a short 1-3 feet and a width of 4-6 feet. Planting each shrub at 2 feet on center will form a dense groundcover.