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May-apple is a delightful spring wildflower that produces a single showy, nodding white flower under handsome umbrella-like leaves in April. These plants only bloom when mature enough to produce two leaves per stem. The flower develops into an edible, greenish fruit, turning golden when ripe and is used for preserves. All other parts of this plant are poisonous! By the end of June, this species has gone dormant. Native to much of the eastern US, it prefers rich, moist humusy soil but is also somewhat tolerant of poor soil conditions and drought. Ideally planted in areas that can be devoted exclusively to may-apple, as it tends to colonize shady areas. Flora of the Southeastern United States