Perennial of the Saxifragaceae family, native to the west coast of North America, from California to Alaska. It grows in moist and shaded forests, light understories, wooded banks, and cool slopes, often accompanied by ferns and other understory plants.
It forms a low and spreading clump of long-petioled leaves, rounded to heart-shaped, slightly lobed and crenate, of a bright green sometimes tinged with bronze in the cold season. From this rosette rise slender and erect floral stems, reaching 60 to 80 cm, bearing in unilateral spikes a series of very original bell-shaped small flowers. The petals, initially white-greenish, gradually turn pink-red as they age, this change of hue throughout the flowering being one of the most characteristic traits of the species.
In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from April to June. In cultivation, it blooms over the same period, from April to June depending on the regions.
It thrives in shade or partial shade, in a fresh, humus-rich, and well-drained soil. Hardy and undemanding once established, it reseeds moderately and is perfectly suited to woodland gardens, shaded edges, and naturalistic associations with hostas, ferns, or perennial geraniums.