Day 175: The unique climate of the Pacific Northwest provides an ideal home for a number of plant genera which are found naturally nowhere else in the world. Among them are Tolmiea menziesii and T. diplomenziesii, the latter being the form found more commonly in Oregon and California. This intriguing plant has foliage which resembles that of Heuchera (Coralbells) superficially, but older leaves often exhibit a feature which supplies the logical and distinguishing common names "Piggyback Plant" and "Youth-on-age." Smaller plantlets ("daughters") develop from the petiole, thence to detach and take root where they fall. Tolmiea is also propagated and/or marketed as a houseplant, a factor which has led to its spread into other parts of the world. As far as I know, it is not considered an invasive in any of the areas where it has been released into the wild by unwitting gardeners, but this practice has led to the introduction of many invasives to areas where no natural controls exist. Please think twice before you bring a non-native plant home from your out-of-state vacation.
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