Lysimachia borealis (Starflower)
| Also known as: | |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Lysimachia |
| Family: | Myrsinaceae (Myrsine) |
| Life cycle: | perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | part shade, shade; moist, rich woods |
| Bloom season: | May - June |
| Plant height: | 4 to 8 inches |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | none |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
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Detailed Information
Flower: 
![[photo of flowers]](/udata/r9ndp23q/white/starflower_0530_162816.jpg)
Star-shaped white flower at the end of a slender naked stalk that arises from the leaf joint at the top of the plant. Individual flowers are ½ inch across, have 6 to 8 petals, with 7 petals most common, and yellow-tipped stamens that turn brown with maturity. One plant commonly has 1 or 2 flowers.
Leaves and stem:
![[photo of leaves]](/udata/r9ndp23q/white/starflower_0530_162413.jpg)
5 to 9 leaves (commonly 7) of unequal size are in a single whorl at the top of the main stem, just below the flowers. Leaves are up to 4 inches long and 1¼ inch wide, toothless and hairless, with a pointed tip and tapering at the base. There may be a few small leafy appendages alternately attached on the otherwise naked main stem.
Notes:
Starflower tends to grow in colonies. Formerly known as Trientalis borealis and in the Primulaceae (Primrose) family, it has been shuffled around to new species name Lysimachia borealis (same genus as the yellow Loosestrifes) and moved to the Myrsinaceae (Myrsine) family.
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More photos
Starflower plant (ground view), about 8 inches tall
a colony of plantsphotos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN May 2008
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2010-06-13 13:34:38
May 2010 - Most flowers have 7-8 petals, but some have 9! See http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=356057&l=a8e619b87b&id=100000186001287
on: 2012-06-04 21:32:53
Found them along the entrance road to the International Wolf Center.
on: 2012-06-05 13:39:26
These are all around our cabin - a lovely carpet!
on: 2013-06-05 20:42:00
Found these littel flowers while walking through our woods.
on: 2013-08-27 12:03:02
Lysimachia borealis is not even considered at Latin binomial by the Kew or Missouri Botanical Gardens (Tropicos). Trientalis borealis Raf. is the accepted name.
on: 2013-08-28 12:17:22
Daniel, Lysimachia borealis is the name used in the specimen records at the University of Minnesota Bell Herbarium and is listed as the "emerging name" by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on their own official MN species list, so the DNR has plans to make this official at some point as well. We stay in sync with the herbarium where taxonomy is concerned, as they are the experts.
However, you are not the first to challenge the use of this name so I checked with Dr. Anita Cholewa, curator at the herbarium, on the taxonomy for this species. She says it is indeed legitimate and just because it has not yet shown up in Tropicos, USDA-Plants, or ITIS doesn't make it not so.
Hope that clarifies things. In the event the accepted name in MN changes back to Trientalis (or to something else altogether), we will update this web site accordingly.
on: 2014-06-05 17:50:27
I have a piece of property nearby. To enjoy the nature of it, we had a trail put in around the perimeter. I just discovered this beauty of a little flower today. Nice. Im only adding MN native flowers to my trail, but many are there natural.
on: 2014-06-09 14:38:16
These just arrived here lately (I think). Lovely little stars and we have one small patch where they grow. thanks for the information. (Our community is near the eastern shore of Georgian Bay.) All our flowers so far are 7 petals and 5 leaves, different sizes, per flower. Usually 1 flower to a stem.
on: 2015-05-18 08:30:59
This was a new find for me. Lovely little flowers!
on: 2015-05-20 16:15:49
Grows all over our pine forest.
on: 2015-05-29 20:57:04
Found under our red pines along Bass Lake.
on: 2015-05-29 21:44:30
These grow at the edge of the woods surrounding our cabin-beautiful!
on: 2015-06-13 22:27:07
These grow in our woods.
on: 2016-05-31 10:52:42
I saw these this past weekend, still blooming at my parents' cabin. Beautiful.
on: 2016-06-02 22:30:56
Found one of these in our back yard! Never saw them before. Cute little buggers!
on: 2017-05-23 12:26:30
Just discovered a sweet little patch of these delicate flowers on our property not far from a large group of blooming bluebead lily's.
on: 2017-05-30 19:13:45
Found these blooming in late May below our edge pines in on the edge of our lawn. Very pretty & easily identifiable!
on: 2019-06-11 20:46:03
Found some right near the Kettle river.
on: 2020-06-06 18:52:54
Have these growing in the woods near my cabin. Not all the stars are in the sky - these pretty little stars are on the forest floor!
on: 2020-06-07 11:58:08
Seen on our back road
on: 2020-06-07 14:36:00
A familiar friend, and one that lives up to its name. Seen growing in the woods.
on: 2022-05-30 15:17:58
Found near Binder Lake just outside of Lakewood, Wisconsin
on: 2022-06-01 19:07:37
The woods in my back yard are FULL of these, especially the higher ground among the Maples and Basswood trees.
on: 2023-06-04 19:42:13
These grow abundantly and are in bloom now (June 4th) along the SHT in SW Lake County.