Prosartes trachycarpa aka Rough Fruit Fairy Bells

Prosartes trachycarpa is a perennial in the lily family, Liliaceae. Its common name is roughfruit fairybells. The RHS lists Disporum trachycarpum as a synonym. Its native range spans Canada and the United States, reaching New Mexico. It grows in temperate regions and is not native to Britain or Ireland. Wild plants grow on wooded slopes, near streams, and in aspen groves. These habitats extend to about 9,840 feet [3,000 metres] above sea level.

This plant reaches about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres] in height. It grows from rhizomes beneath the soil. These creeping stems help it spread through soil rich in leaf matter. The evidence gives no mature spread, so allow room for this growth. Each flower has both male and female organs. The fruit reaches about 0.4 inches [0.01 metres] across. It has a sweet taste, but its flesh is leathery rather than juicy.

A woodland bed with partial shade suits this species well. PFAF also lists full shade among its tolerated light levels. Its landscape notes, though, favour dappled shade rather than deep shade. Keep the soil moist and rich in leaf matter. Peaty soil also suits it. It can grow in sandy, loamy, or clay soils. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline conditions. PFAF lists USDA zones 4–8 and cold tolerance near −20°C. These traits make it an option for cool, shaded woodland gardens.

Fresh seed is best sown in a cold frame once ripe. Use lime-free compost and keep it moist. Stored seed needs six weeks of cold treatment before sowing. At 15°C, germination may take three to six months or longer. Move seedlings into separate pots once large enough to handle. Keep them in a greenhouse through at least their first winter. Plant out after the last expected frosts, in late spring or early summer. Spring division offers another way to raise plants.

PFAF records the fruit as edible raw and reports no known hazards. That does not establish safety for pets or every plant part. It also records past medicinal uses of seeds, bark, and leaves. These include eye treatments and washes or poultices for wounds. Such records do not establish safe or effective treatment. The supplied evidence names no pests or diseases. PFAF does not flag the species as weedy.