The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: two-leaf miterwort, bishop's-cap

Family: Saxifragaceae (saxifrage family)

Distribution: e. North America

Hardiness: USDA Zone 3

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Comments: Two-leaf miterwort (or bishop's-cap) is typically found growing on moist, mossy ledges in mesic forests. It blooms from April to June, producing tall stalks with miniscule, 1/8" wide white flowers that look like snowflakes. The flowers are best viewed with the aid of a hand lens. The fruits are open capsules containing many small seeds, which are distributed by raindrops striking the capsule causing it to bend and fling the seeds out. The capsules resemble a "miter" - a type of headdress that was worn by bishops in certain Christian sects - hence the genus name, Mitella. Pollinators that visit this plant are Syrphid flies and small, short-tongued bees.