Height 45cm, spread 60cm+
A gorgeous looking woodlander from North America, unique in that the mature plant only has two leaves and a sinlge white to rose flower in May. Immature plants have one leaf. Thrives in typical woodland conditions, moist well drained soil in full or partial shade. It spreads by rhizomes, forming colonies where happy.
The common name of 'May-Apple' refers to the fruit which is ready to harvest in August/September, the flesh of which is edible when yellow and soft, however all other parts of the plant, including the seeds, are poisonous and must not be eaten. Just to clarify ONLY the ripe yellow flesh (not green or yellow green) is edible. Seeds MUST be removed and ALL other parts of the plant are poisonous.
Photo credit: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons