Pick-a-back-plant
Tolmiea menziesii
Last reviewed: October 2026
Pick-a-back-plant (Tolmiea menziesii) is a perennial forb native to OR, WA. It blooms in April, May, and June. The flowers draw flies.
Toxicity unknown
Pick-a-back-plant (Tolmiea menziesii) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
shade
Water
high
Size
8"–24" H × 12"–24" W
Bloom
Apr, May, Jun
Native to
OR, WA
Pollinators
flies
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
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Browse plants for this ecoregion
A low, mounding groundcover with fuzzy, maple-like leaves that produce small plantlets at the base of each leaf, giving rise to its common name, and slender spikes of small brownish-purple flowers. Forms a dense, neat mat in moist shaded forest understory.
Growing Pick-a-back-plant
Grow Pick-a-back-plant in shade and high water. Mature plants reach 8 to 24 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide.
Wildlife value
Provides dense ground-level cover for small woodland invertebrates, and its unusual small flowers are visited by flies.
Common questions
- How much sun does Pick-a-back-plant need?
- Pick-a-back-plant grows best in shade conditions.
- When does Pick-a-back-plant bloom?
- Pick-a-back-plant blooms in April, May, and June.
- Where is Pick-a-back-plant native?
- Pick-a-back-plant (Tolmiea menziesii) is native to OR, WA, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What pollinators does Pick-a-back-plant attract?
- Pick-a-back-plant draws flies.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Pick-a-back-plant? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.