I JUST read about this plant at Nancy Ondra's site...seems like a neat plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hayefield Blog

Do seeds count? I started a few last month but haven't seen much life yet, I hope I get some to sprout though, it looks like it will be a cool plant!

Is it invasive?

Keep us updated 'kato' re the progress of those seeds. Where did you get them from?

I have been growing it for several years. It pokes its nose up in early spring and then unfurls its leaves. It takes quite a bit of shade and it's slow to increase for me.

Thanks casey1. Any chance you have some pictures of your plant from last season?

I am glad to hear that yours succeeds in lots of shade.

I had heard that slugs can be a problem for this plant. Have you experienced this?

I have it, but it has been slow to spread. However, most people who come to the garden notice it and want it.. This is a pic from Idabeans's garden of it. She has quite a bit of it in all its glory, and it blooms. I've never had a bloom, but it's one of those plants that's can stand out w/o blooming.

{{gwi:202806}}

Slugs don't seem to bother them - only my hostas. I never took any pictures but I will this year. My patch is not as dense as Idabean's and it's never flowered.

thyme2dig that is a wonderful picture of Idabeans's garden showing Syneilesis aconitifolia as a perfect component of a shady woodland plot.

Oh, my! Is that what my garden looks like? I honestly can't imagine anything green or lush growing out of the layers of smushed hosta and wet leaves. I do see many hellebore flower buds rising out of their discolored old foliage.

Thanks, Susan. It was a pick-me-up when I was just feeling a little discouraged about my broken arm and wrist getting in the way of a spring clean up.

idabean/Marie

OK...I can't resist. Here is another pic of the shade bed Marie has the plant in. Genius. It's a beautiful bed. I'm pretty sure if you click on the pic it will head you over to my picasa web album of her gaEden. Very much worth a peek.

{{gwi:202807}}

It was a just a small nursery pot from a place that specializes in woodland and shade plants. I think it has been in that spot about 6 years. I don't think I've ever fertilized it except for a top dressing of compost .....not even every year. In the front I think are violet Etain, which never comes back. I keep buying. it.

All I can say is "Wow"! Beautiful Marie. Thanks for posting this thyme2dig.

UPDATE spring 2014:

Here is mine arising from the cold soil. Of course still very small but I am grateful it made it through its first winter.

I love mine, particularly when it unfurls in the spring. I will post a picture of my S. palmatum which has taken forever to do anything....I will not post a picture of my aconitifolia because it looks ridiculous compared to that gorgeous bed above. Mine did bloom last year...just one bloom very insignificant. It is totally a foliage plant.

Great picture SP. Thank you.

Anybody know where you could mail order this in Canada. I know Canning Perennials has them but its really expensive to order from them. I would love to have this by my pond.

There are few mail order nurseries for live plants in Canada.

Canning, Phoenix and Garden Import come to mind.

Just bought one last week at Phoenix Perennials but they don't seem to have it on their mail order list. I looked but didn't see them listed at Garden Import either. I think Canning might be your best bet.

Annette

Thanks for your help
I have bought plants from Garden Import in previous years and have had good results but unfortunately shredded Umbrella isn't available on their site.
I checked out Canning perennials again but you have to spend $25 dollars in plants in order to place an order and it would cost over 40 dollars with the shipping and tax if I did that to get shredded umbrella.
Guess I will keep looking altho it seems a lot of mail order nurseries are not shipping any more plants this spring.

the s&h is always a rip off

But sometimes mail order is the only way to get that extra special unique plant.

maet,
You can try Fraser's Thimble Farm in BC. I don't remember they require minimum order for Canadian order (I could be wrong).

Here is a link that might be useful: Fraser's Thimble Farm

I don't know how seeds will work for you, but it might be worth a shot. Here are baby pictures of mine, three plants started from seed last spring. The larger leaf is about six inches across and I'm surprised any of them survived my neglect, let alone grew as well as they did.
The seeds were from the NARGS seed exchange.

I already checked out Fraser Thimble farm and it will cost me 40 dollars with shipping, A little too much for my pocketbook right now for one plant. Think I'm going to wait until early 2015 when other nursery may have it stocked again.
I will check out the NARGS website in the meantime for seed.