Xanthorhiza simplicissima

Xanthorhiza simplicissima, or Yellowroot, has multiple low-growing, upright, unbranched stems with lobed, coarsely toothed leaves sprout from a creeping, rhizomatous root system. Under the gray bark the soft wood and roots are a bright yellow hue due to the sap, which was once used to dye fabrics. Clusters of tiny purplish flowers top the stems in spring and give way to small seeds that birds eat.  The leaves turn from green to yellowish in the fall until finally becoming brown as they persist well into winter and then drop. This shrub tolerates almost any growing conditions and will form a dense colony through rhizomes that will choke out most other plants. A good candidate for transitions from light to shade or wet to dry, this is an excellent border plant for landscaping