Bigflower Tellima, Tellima grandiflora

About Bigflower Tellima (Tellima grandiflora) 37 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Bigflower Tellima (Tellima grandiflora) is a native perennial herb in the Saxifagiaceae (Saxifrage) family that grows in central and northern California, from Santa Cruz northward. It is found in the Coast Ranges and northern Sierras. It tends to grow in the moist shade of evergreen forest at elevations from sea level to 5,000 feet. The basal leaves resemble Heuchera and other plants in the same family. The leaves and inflorescence are somewhat hairy. The spike-like raceme carries numerous red, pink or white flowers that are small and ephemeral but very attractive. It would be a good addition to the understory of a woodland garden.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb

Size

1.3 - 3 ft tall
2 ft wide

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Winter Semi-Deciduous, Evergreen

Fragrance

Slight

Flower Color

Pink, Red, White

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer

Landscaping Information

Sun

Shade, Part Shade

Moisture

Low, Moderate - High,

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / week once established

Nurseries

Carried by 37

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 10° F

Soil Drainage

Medium

Soil Description

Forest soil with high organic content. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses

Groundcovers, Deer Resistant

Companion Plants

Use under trees such as Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Firs (Abies sp.), Maples (Acer sp.), Pines (Pinus sp.), Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica), Chinquapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla or sempervirens), and Tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), along with other shade-loving and moisture loving plants such as native ferns, Elk's Clover (Aralia californica), Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum), Columbine (Aquilegia formosa), Chinese Houses (Collinsia heterophylla), Larkspur (Delphinium sp.), Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa), Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), and Tiger Lily (Lilium pardalinum)

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones?

2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Natural Setting

Site Type

Most often found in the damp shade of evergreen forest in northern California

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 19.3" - 151.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.27" - 5.63", Coldest Month: 35.2" - 50.4", Hottest Month: 53.8" - 74.7", Humidity: 0.04" - 23.39", Elevation: 11" - 6950"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Fringe Cups

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Bigflower Tellima

Tellima grandiflora

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Bigflower TellimaTellima grandiflora

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Bigflower Tellima

Tellima grandiflora