Yellow Wax Bells (Kirengeshoma palmata)
[kih-ren-gesh-OH-mah palm-AY-tah]

Deciduous Perennial Clump-forming, upright in the Hydrangeaceae Family
 
Buy Yellow Wax Bells
Size Notes Price Availability
Tray of 6 #1 gallons Field

Retail ready. Yellow bell shaped blooms (9/13)

 $79.05 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4

A refined woodland perennial with maple-like foliage and nodding, waxy yellow bell flowers in late summer and fall, when the shade garden needs it most.
Kirengeshoma palmata, commonly called yellow wax bells, is a slow-spreading, clump-forming woodland perennial grown for its bold, maple-like foliage and its unusual, waxy, pendant yellow flowers. The flowers open from late summer into fall, a season when few other shade perennials are still in bloom, held on dark purplish stems that contrast nicely against the broad green leaves. It is native to wooded mountain slopes in Japan and Korea, and does best given the same cool, consistently moist, humus-rich conditions it would find there.

Pros

  • Blooms in late summer and fall, once many other shade perennials have finished
  • Bold, maple-like foliage gives strong textural interest from spring through fall
  • Clump-forming and well-behaved rather than spreading aggressively

Cons

  • Needs consistently moist, humus-rich soil and can struggle in dry shade
  • Slow to establish, so it takes a couple of seasons to look full
  • Not widely grown, so detailed sourcing information can be hard to find
Highlights An unusual late-season bloomer for the shade garden, with maple-like leaves and nodding, waxy yellow flowers that open just as most other woodland perennials are winding down.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 4 feet tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 5a - 8b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Deciduous, Fall interest, For a Shady Spot, Full Shade, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Medium, Partial Shade, Perennial, Shade Tolerant, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period August - October
Flower Color Yellow
Foliage Color Medium green
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other shade-lovers that enjoy the same rich, moist soil, such as hostas, astilbe, hellebores, and Japanese painted fern.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 08/23
2024 : 05/16 - 09/08

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!