PlantWatch

Queen's cup (Clintonia uniflora)

Also known as: bride’s bonnet
French name: clintonie uniflore
Bloom time: April to May
Report for: BC

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 & Fruit: 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.

Sampling: Select a typical patch of plants, if the plants are very abundant, mark off a 1-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