Family

Hydrangeaceae

Description

Yellow wax bells (Kirengeshoma palmata) is a rare and unusual herbaceous perennial grown for its late-season nodding, buttery yellow bell-shaped flowers, which appear just as many other shade perennials fade. With maple-like palmate leaves and an upright, shrubby habit, it brings an elegant, architectural quality to shaded borders. It prefers moist, rich woodland soils and part to full shade, where its dramatic foliage and pendulous blooms can light up darker areas. Though slow to establish, it is long-lived and offers a sexual counterpoint to ferns, hosts, and woodland hydrangeas.

Native to mountain woodlands of Japan and the Korean Peninsula, Kirengeshoma palmata thrives in cool, humid forested environments, often on slopes and ravine edges. It is best suited in gardens that replicate these conditions—sheltered, with constant moisture and organic matter.

Bloom Time

August to September