Iodanthus pinnatifidus - Purple Rocket

Sizes available: HPP quart

Basics: zones4-8, 1-3' x 1-2', part to full shade, blooms a very pale purple maturing to white in late spring, likes a medium wet to wet soil, maybe lime

Common names: Purple Rocket, Violet-Rocket

Family: Brassicaceae

Origin/Distribution: Native to Connecticut as far south as Alabama and Texas and as far northwest as Minnesota

Habitat: Found in low, moist woods and meadows, floodplains, and edges of watery spots like creeks and swamps.

More: This plant is a perennial mustard that likes the shade and is native to North America. The young leaves are a peppery addition to a salad or can be blanched as a spring green. The flowers are lightly fragrant and the base of the plant is a good-looking rosette of dark green leaves. Attractive for smaller pollinators in particular. Brightens up a shady, damp corner. Bears some resemblance to Dame's Rocket, Hesperis matronalis, which is invasive in Maine. Both of these plants grow in similar conditions and have a similar form, although the Iodanthus has a more subtle charm. 

Source: sown at Honey Petal Plants with seed from both Hayefield Seeds and the North American Rock Garden Society Seed Exchange

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons