Species › Plants › Yellow Clintonia

Yellow Clintonia

Clintonia borealis

CommonPlant
Illustration of Yellow Clintonia (Clintonia borealis)
Safety note: Berries are toxic if ingested.

Yellow Clintonia, or bead lily, is a native wildflower of cool northern forests with glossy, lily-like basal leaves and small clusters of yellow-green flowers in spring. The striking blue-black berries in late summer are toxic to humans but eaten by some birds. It is a characteristic plant of hemlock-hardwood forests and indicates undisturbed woodland conditions.

Habitat
Cool moist northern hardwood and hemlock forests across northeastern North America
Diet
Berries occasionally eaten by birds; flowers visited by native bees
How common
Common

Best time to see a Yellow Clintonia

The best time to see a Yellow Clintonia is May–July, when about 78% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 22,746 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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