A native herbaceous perennial, though somewhat rare in a wild state. As
grown in gardens, where it seems to appreciate cultural attentions, it
proves both useful and effective, especially when placed in partial
shade (when its foliage has an almost maiden-hair-like appearance), or
as an edging it proves both neat and beautiful.
It seldom exceeds a foot in height. The flowers are small, a yellow,
white and green mixture, the yellow predominating; they are produced in
loose spare racemes, on well-foliaged diffuse stems, which are also
angular; the calyx is composed of two leaves; the petals are four,
forming a snapdragon-like flower. The leaves are bipinnate, leaflets
wedge-shape, trifoliate, and glaucous; the foliage very dense, having a
pretty drooping habit. It flowers all summer, and is one of the most
useful plants in a garden to cut from, the foliage being more valuable
than the flowers.
Its native habitats are said to be old walls and ruins, but I[Pg 71] have
proved it for years to do grandly in ordinary garden soil, both exposed
and in the shade of fruit trees. When once established it propagates
itself freely by seed. I ought to add that it answers admirably grown in
pots for window decoration, the rich foliage nearly hiding the pot.