Native Habitat:
Moist forests, subalpine meadows, and streambanks along the Pacific Coast, including the Willamette Valley. Prefers cool, shaded, well-drained soils with high organic matter.
 
Bloom Time:
May – July
 
Growth Habit & Mature Size:
Low-growing, mat-forming perennial, 4–8 inches tall. Produces whorled leaves with small, white, four-petaled flowers surrounded by showy white bracts, followed by red berries in summer. Spreads via creeping rhizomes.
 
Light & Soil Requirements:
Partial to full shade; moist, rich, well-drained soils high in organic matter.
 
Willamette Valley Native Companion Plants:
Tolmiea menziesii, Polystichum munitum, Athyrium filix-femina, Adiantum pedatum, Oxalis oregana.
 
Urban Garden Function:
Ideal for shaded urban gardens, woodland-inspired plantings, and rain gardens. Forms low, dense groundcover providing early- to mid-season flowers and bright berries for visual interest. Works well beneath shrubs or trees and in layered shade plantings to create a lush understory.
 
Wildlife Supported:
Flowers attract small native bees and flies. Berries provide food for songbirds such as thrushes and robins. Dense mats provide shelter for insects and microfauna.
 
Historical Use:
Berries and leaves used by Indigenous peoples for food and minor medicinal purposes; valued for ornamental groundcover in shaded landscapes.