Blue-Bead Lily

Blue-Bead Lily (Clintonia borealis)

Also known as: clintonia

Bloom time: May – June

Additional photos:

• Clintonia borealis first bloom
  credit : Madonna Bishop
• Clintonia borealis mid bloom
  credit : Madonna Bishop
• Clintonia borealis flowers
  credit : Rowena Hopkins

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 & Fruits:

• 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.

PlantWatch Pointers: 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.

Distribution Map:

This species is monitored in:

• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec

The fruit of this lily is poisonous to humans although chipmunks can eat it.