Queen’s Cup (Clintonia uniflora)


Queen's Cup (Clintonia uniflora)Also known as: bride’s bonnet

flowerforest

Bloom time: April – May

Additional photos:

General: Part of the lily family, Queen’s cup is a low plant which grows in clusters formed by a large system of underground stems.

Leaves & Twigs: Shiny green leaves are paired (sometimes as a threesome) when they emerge in early spring. The leaves have long soft hairs on the underside and grow to 25 cm in length.

Flowers & Fruits:

  • This plant produces a single pure-white, star-like flower with six sepals. It sits on a 10-20 cm hairy stalk, and appears after the leaves of the plant.
  • The egg-shaped berry (6-12 mm round) is metallic blue in colour.

Habitat: Prefers moist woods, from the lowlands to sub-alpine. At mid-elevations, may join with mosses to form a dense carpet.

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:

Distribution Map

This species is monitored in:

  • British Columbia

Because of its intense, metallic blue colour, the berry has been used as a dye by some Aboriginal Peoples.