Mitella

Delicate beauties to grow in shady border, with a moisture-retentive soil. Will grow in a sunnier position, but will need protection from overhead midday sun. Around 30 species in North America and Asia. Clump-forming, sometimes creeping perennials, normally evergreen. Flowering in spring, individually small, on upright stems, but incredibly lace-like and delicate, well worth a closer look. Basal leaves lobed, similar to its relatives Heuchera and Tiarella, but generally smaller. However with some species, eg M. makinoi, the foliage can be pattered and will take on hues of purple, brown, black, red  and green at points in the season. Mitella, from the Greek, mitra, meaning 'cap', and ella, emphasising that the hat is small, referring to the fruiting capsules. Hence the common names, bishop's hat, mitrewort.

The small flowers are visited and pollinated mostly by fungus-gnats, not high on everyone's desired garden companion list, but they are an essential underpinning of the food chains that lead up to all the birds we do love! In addition the mounds and sometimes carpets of foliage in shady spots serve as a refuge for invertebrates and amphibians.