Native to the Pacific coast of North America, this little plant in the barberry family grows in woodlands on the west slopes of the Cascade Mountains. With a growth habit similar to mayapple, the plants grow into colonies. Each plant has a stem 8-10” tall topped with a compound leaf divided into three leaflets with wavy leaf margins. In late spring to early summer, one-foot stems topped with spikes of tiny, fragrant white flowers appear. The dried foliage has a vanilla scent. We are trialing this plant on Spider Island, testing its hardiness. Other common names include “deer foot” and “sweet-after-death” - a name we would prefer not to use.