This bushy, clump-forming herbaceous plant grows in rich woods from Michigan, Southern Ontario, New York and south to Georgia in the mountains. It is a member of the rose (Rosaceae) family, though the flower does not much resemble our traditional view of a rose. The whitish or pinkish flowers have five long, narrow, twisted petals and are about 1.25 inches in diameter. The twisting of the petals gives the flower a scraggly or untidy appearance. In many cases, the calyx may be reddish in color. There are numerous stamens. Each plant produces a number of flowers on thin wiry stalks.

The serrate leaves are divided into 3’s and have only a short stalk if any. The leaves turn red in the autumn. The plant grows 2-3 feet high in rich woodlands and blooms May to July. The fruit is a pod that opens along one side. The root contains a very bitter substance. Native Americans and colonists used the powdered root as a mild emetic or laxative. For that reason, it was sometimes called “Indian Physic.” It is also sometimes called “Fawn’s Breath.” It is common in cultivation and can be purchased for gardens from a variety of sources.