PlantWatch

Blue-bead lily (Clintonia borealis)

Photo by Royal Botanical Gardens

Also known as: clintonia
French name: clintonie boréal
Bloom time: May to June
Report for: ON, QC, NB, NS, PEI, NF

General: Low plant, often forming colonies. Shiny, overlapping leaves appear in sets of 2 to 5 (usually 3) at the base of the stem.

Leaves & Twigs: Leaves are oval, 15-30 cm long.

Flowers & Fruit: Flowers are yellowish-green. The stem rises to a height of 15-40 cm, and has three to six star-shaped, nodding flowers at the top.
The fruit is small (about 1 cm), shiny and very blue, appearing later in the summer.

Habitat: Moist deciduous or mixed coniferous woodlands with rich soil.

Sampling: Select a typical patch of plants, if the plants are very abundant, mark off a l-metre-square section to observe.

To Observe:

• First bloom: when the first flowers are open in the observed plants.
• Mid bloom: when 50% of the flowers are open in the observed plants.