Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous Perennial

Veratrum californicum var. caudatum

Californian tailed false hellebore

a slow-growing, herbaceous perennial with broad, pleated leaves. The flower stem can reach 2m, has short branches on the lower half, and is clothed in greenish-white, star-shaped flowers in mid- to late summer

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or South–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Melanthiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: TOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets if eaten (dogs) - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Veratrum are herbaceous, rhizomatous perennials with erect stems bearing alternate, pleated ovate or elliptic leaves and dense, branched panicles of small, star-shaped flowers in summer
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in deep, fertile, humus-rich soil that is moist but well-drained; site in partial shade or full sun so long as the soil does not dry out. Shelter from cold, drying winds

Propagation

Propagate by seed in pots in a cold frame as soon as seed is ripe. Propagate by division in early spring or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Architectural
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut down flowering spike after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease- free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.