Clintonia,
Bluebead Lily
Clintonia
borealis
You
Are Here: Wildflower Guide > Late Spring to Early
Summer> Clintonia
To go back
to the master directory, click on the Wildflower Guide button above.
To jump back to the Late
Spring group, click here.
To jump to another season,
click one of these links: early spring : mid-spring
: mid-summer : late
summer : fall : winter
There
are two species of Clintonia in our area - Speckled Wood Lily C. umbellulata
and Bluebead C. borealis (left). The Bluebead is found at mid-to high elevations throughout our mountains, usually in Spruce/Fir/Hemlock forest. The other, Speckled Wood Lily grows lower down in mixed deciduous forest. They both like cool moist shady, somewhat acid ground. When the leaves first appear in May, you might confuse them with orchids - I know I did until I got the hang of telling them apart. Bluebead lilies usually grow at least three leaves, often four or five. They are sturdy and upright, glossy on top, and with a line of fine hairs right along the edge of the leaf. The leaves are also pointed at the tip, and have a distinct ridge or vein running down the center. The flowers emerge at the top of a single stalk from the center of the plant. Both species look very, very similar, but you can tell them apart - the leaves of the Speckled Lily are mottled, and the flowers, more white than yellow, appear in a tighter, upright clump. The leaves of the Bluebead are a uniform green, and the yellow flowers are fewer, in a looser cluster, and the individual flowers usually are nodding.
fdudley@weaversites.com
Fiona Dudley
Weaversites
986 Reems Creek Road
Weaverville NC 28787
828-231-1501
All contents
of this website ©1998-2002 Weaversites. All rights reserved.
