Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Hydrophyllum tenuipes

Pacific Waterleaf

At a Glance: Single leafy, hairy stem grows from rhizomes and fleshy fibrous roots; with small clusters of greenish-white flowers.

Height: Up to 32 inches (80 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Stems solitary, leafy, usually hairy.
Leaves: Alternating arrangement; hairy and divided into usually 5 (9) coarsely toothed segments; size: 15 cm (6 in) long, 15 cm (6 in) wide.
Flowers: Numerous in terminal compact clusters on stalks from upper leaf axils; primary color: greenish-white to lavender; size: 5-7 mm long; stamens and pistils are sticking out; sepals are bristly on margins; shape: bell-shaped.
Flowering Period: May.
Fruits: Capsules, 1-chambered, opening by 2 valves; 1-3 seeds per capsule.


Photo © 2004, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
(data not available)	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: NI (no indicator data)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Prefers rich, moist soils.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

(data not available)

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Food Uses: The Cowlitz peoples broke up the waterleaf root and ate it.

Suggested References

Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 252.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 183.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 231.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.