Starflower

Starflower (Trientalis borealis)

Bloom time: May - June

Additional photos:

• Trientalis borealis first bloom
  credit: Rowena Hopkins
• Trientalis borealis flower
  credit: Rowena Hopkins

General: Starflower is a common woodland plant, particularly in Nova Scotia.

Leaves & Twigs:

• Plants emerge in the spring from thick underground roots.
• Later each plant will develop a shiny stem about 20 cm tall, rising out of a crown of shiny oval leaves.

Flowers & Fruits

• One or two white, seven-petalled flowers appear on slender stalks.
• The star-shaped flowers of this plant are among the first to appear on the forest floor every spring.
• The flowers produce small brown pods, each with only a few seeds.

Habitat: The starflower is usually found in openings in mixed woods.

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:

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

The roots of starflower were used by Aboriginal hunters to make a smoke mixture to attract deer.