Yellow Wax Bells is the common name for Kirengeshoma Palmata, and frankly no plant ever needed a common name more! These plants have the most unusual blooms. They start out oval and look something like acorns, but as they turn yellow, they elongate and overlapping, thick petals appear. The blooms never open more than this.                                                                                                                             Wax Bells have large, maple-like leaves and resemble a medium sized shrub—and it all dies back to the ground each fall, which is kind of amazing.

Wax Bells are an understory shade plant and make good companions for cimicifugas, chelone, and ferns because these plants share similar water and light requirements. For me, Wax Bells fall into the not-quite-low-maintenance category. Their large leaves will crisp at the edges if you fail to water regularly and they relish extra humusy soil.  So if you have clay or sandy soil, it needs to be amended with compost and/or rotted manure if you want these plants to flourish.

Still, that’s not much to ask for such exotic looking blooms and a plant that will slowly  fill in any bare spots at the back of the shade garden.