# fringe cups (*Tellima grandiflora*) Fringe cups are lovely little plants with unique, cup-shaped flowers. They often grow in shady spots and can add a splash of color to the forest floor. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 15 - **Habitat:** Forests ![fringe cups](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tellima_grandiflora_11202.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tellima_grandiflora_11202.JPG) ## Appearance The fringe cups has a basal rosette of soft, hairy, lobed green leaves. Its tall, slender stems display delicate bell-shaped flowers with greenish-white petals that become pinkish-red, distinctly fringed at the edges like tiny lace. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Saxifragales - **Family:** Saxifragaceae - **Genus:** Tellima ## Interesting facts - Indigenous peoples of its range sometimes used the leaves as a poultice for minor wounds. - Its scientific name 'Tellima' is an anagram of 'Mitella', a closely related flower! - Look closely at the petals – they look like delicate, frilly eyelashes or tiny lace! - The tiny bell-shaped flowers actually change color from green-white to pink as they get older! ## Special abilities - **Shade Dweller:** Fringe cups can thrive in deep forest shade, having adapted to grow with limited sunlight. - **Frilly Flower Power:** Fringe cups has uniquely fringed petals that attract specific small insect pollinators to its nectar. - **Spreading Root System:** Fringe cups can spread using underground stems called rhizomes, helping it form colonies. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-70 cm - **Spread:** 20-40 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** western bumble bee (*Bombus mixtus*) — helps spread pollen between plants - **Eaten by:** [mule deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — may browse on its leaves and stems ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless an adult says it's okay. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify fringe cups? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is fringe cups? 30-70 cm ### How wide does fringe cups spread? 20-40 cm ### How big are the flowers on fringe cups? 0.5-1 cm ### When does fringe cups bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is fringe cups edible? No ### Is fringe cups toxic? None ### What is fringe cups's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Fairhaven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairhaven) — Washington, US · Neighborhood - [Pike Place Market](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pike-place-market) — Washington, US · Historic District - [Saxman Totem Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saxman-totem-park) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Illahee State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/illahee-state-park) — Washington, US · State Park - [Valhalla Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/valhalla-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Carl S. English, Jr., Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carl-s-english-jr-botanical-gardens) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see fringe cups](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fringe-cups) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Fringe Cups: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fringe-cups)