Synthyris: Native Figwort
Six of twenty-one species of Synthyris are native to Oregon, though some are uncommon to rare. In fact, Synthyris reniformis is the only commonly familiar species in Oregon.
Plant care & info
Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort)
Genus: Synthyris
Synthyris reniformis, Synthyris missurica, Synthyris schazantha, Synthyris missurica var. stellata, Synthyris cordata.
Spring Queen, Snow Queen, Kittentoes.
Common in woodland to open areas of mostly low-to-mid elevations.throughout the western United States and Canada.
Small heart-shaped basal leaves with shallow lobes. Rising above are short stems with tiny blue-violet, bell-shaped flowers held in small clusters.
Grows happily in dappled sunny, well-drained, humus-y part of the garden.
There are no common pest or disease issues.
It may be a little misleading to make it the January plant pick, but it is one of the very first flowers to appear in the native shade garden. In mild winters, it can flower as early as January! Most years, flowers appear during the late-February through April, giving the plant its common names of Spring Queen and Snow Queen.
Find Natives for your garden
We offer a great selection of Northwest Natives from spring through fall. The plants featured are highlighted favorites, but they do not represent ALL of the plants we carry. For a more complete list, see our Northwest Native Plant List.
