Indian Physic, Bowman's Root | Gillenia trifoliata

🌿 Ships well rooted in a 3.5 x 5 inch deep pot. 

Bowman's root is one of those plants that garden designers reach for when they need grace without fussiness. Wiry, reddish-branching stems rise 2 to 4 feet and carry clouds of narrow, starry white flowers with contrasting red calyces from late spring into early summer, creating an airy, almost hovering effect above the trifoliate foliage. It earns an RHS Award of Garden Merit, and it earns it honestly. The red calyces persist after the petals drop, extending the ornamental display well into summer, and then fall arrives and the whole plant ignites in shades of orange, bronze, and red. Three full seasons of interest from a low-maintenance, clump-forming native that gets better and stronger with age and has no significant pest or disease issues.

It's closely related to G. stipulata (American ipecac) and shares a similar profile and traditional history. Both have been known as Indian physic, and both have a long history of use in Indigenous and early American herbalism. 

🌿 Latin Name: Gillenia trifoliata (syn. Porteranthus trifoliatus)
🌞 Light: Part shade preferred; tolerates full sun with consistent moisture
🌱 Soil: Moist, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral; fertile loam preferred; adaptable to rocky and average soils
💧 Water: Moderate; drought-tolerant once established; mulch to retain moisture
📏 Mature Size: 2 to 4 ft tall, 18 to 36 inches wide; clump-forming
🌸 Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to July)
🗺️ Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
🍂 Fall Color: Orange, bronze, and red; exceptional
🦋 Wildlife Value: Attracts native bees, butterflies, moths, and bats; deer and rabbit resistant