Large-leaved Avens

Geum macrophyllum

Large-leaved Avens is a beautiful plant with big, green leaves and lovely yellow flowers. It grows in cool, shady places and adds a splash of color to the forest floor.

Habitat: Forests

Appearance

The Large-leaved Avens has striking, deeply lobed basal leaves that can be quite big, growing close to the ground. Its bright yellow, five-petaled flowers are borne on tall, slender stems above the foliage, creating a cheerful display.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderRosalesFamilyRosaceaeGenusGeum

Large-leaved Avens

Interesting facts

Baby deer and elk love to nibble on its fresh, young leaves.

Early settlers sometimes used its roots to flavor a type of beer.

Its roots can smell like cloves or wintergreen when crushed!

This tough plant can even grow high up in mountain meadows!

Special abilities

Large-leaved Avens has tiny, hooked seeds that attach to animal fur, helping it spread far and wide to new locations.

Large-leaved Avens can spread underground using rhizomes, allowing it to form dense patches and colonize areas.

Large-leaved Avens has large leaves to efficiently capture sunlight in shaded forest understories, maximizing energy production.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-90 cm
Spread: 30-60 cm
Flower Size: 1-2 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to mid-summer
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Two-form Bumble Bee

Bombus bifarius

Collects nectar and pollen

pollinates

Western Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Visits flowers for resources

eaten by

Elk

Cervus canadensis

Browses on leaves and stems

eaten by

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

Feeds on foliage

Traits

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Shade Tolerant

Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.

Spring Blooming

Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Forest

Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.