Bluebead

Plant Info

Also known as:	Yellow Bluebead Lily, Yellow Clintonia, Corn Lily
Scientific name:	Clintonia borealis
Family:	Lily (Liliaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	shade to part sun; moist woods, swamps
Bloom season:	spring
Plant height:	6 to 16 inches
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Flowers are in groups of 2 to 6 at the end of a long naked stem that sprouts from the base of the plant. Individual flowers are up to 1 inch long and a typical lily bell shape, 6 tepals (petals) that flare out, 6 long stamen with yellow tips and a long straight style. The color is yellow to yellowish green. The flowers tend to nod down. Each plant has a single stem of flowers.

Leaves:

There are 2 to 4 leaves around the base of the plant, each up to 8 inches long and 3 inches wide with a pointed tip and tapering at the base. There is a distinct central vein and faint parallel veins. The surface is glossy.

Fruit:

Fruit is a green berry about ¼ inch in diameter that ripens to a deep blue color, and is where the common name originates.

Notes:

Bluebead grows in clumps and can form large colonies.

More photos

• a colony of Bluebead plants

Photos taken at Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park, Shoreview, MN June and August 2008

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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