# Spleenwortleaf Goldthread (*Coptis aspleniifolia*)

Spleenwortleaf Goldthread is a small, beautiful plant with shiny green leaves that look like little ferns. It grows in cool, shady places and has bright yellow flowers that bloom in spring.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Spleenwortleaf Goldthread](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Coptis_aspleniifolia.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coptis_aspleniifolia.jpg)

## Appearance

The Spleenwortleaf Goldthread has distinctive fern-like, shiny green leaves that form a low-growing clump on the forest floor. Its delicate white or yellowish-white flowers, resembling tiny stars, emerge on slender stalks in early spring.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ranunculales
- **Family:** Ranunculaceae
- **Genus:** Coptis

## Interesting facts

- Indigenous people used its roots to make yellow dye.
- It prefers cool, damp spots deep in the forest.
- Its flowers are like tiny white stars in spring!
- Its roots are bright yellow, like spun gold!

## Special abilities

- **Evergreen Energy:** Spleenwortleaf Goldthread has evergreen leaves that help it photosynthesize and gather energy all winter long.
- **Golden Roots:** Spleenwortleaf Goldthread can store nutrients in its golden, thread-like roots, helping it survive harsh conditions and regrow.
- **Forest Floor Spreader:** Spleenwortleaf Goldthread has creeping rhizomes, letting it spread and colonize damp, mossy areas of the forest floor.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Spread:** 10-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Two-Form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — These bees visit its early spring flowers for nectar.
- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Honey bees may also visit its tiny, star-shaped blooms.

## 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.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [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.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not touch or eat any plants without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Spleenwortleaf Goldthread?

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 Spleenwortleaf Goldthread?

5-20 cm

### How wide does Spleenwortleaf Goldthread spread?

10-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Spleenwortleaf Goldthread?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Spleenwortleaf Goldthread bloom?

Spring

### Is Spleenwortleaf Goldthread edible?

No

### Is Spleenwortleaf Goldthread toxic?

Mild

### What is Spleenwortleaf Goldthread's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carmanah-walbran-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## 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*)

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Source: [Spleenwortleaf Goldthread: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spleenwortleaf-goldthread)