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Linnaea borealis
Twinflower
At a Glance: Trailing, slender, semi-woody, with short erect leafy stems and dainty bell-shaped flowers.
Height: 4 inches (10 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Slender, trailing and rooting.
Leaves: Opposite and firm with few shallow teeth along the upper half, minutely hairy, broadly elliptic, to 1.5 cm (.6 in), dark green above, paler below.
Flowers: Fragrant trumpet-shaped nodding flowers born in pairs on a thin Y-shaped stalk; size: 2-5 mm.
Flowering Period: May, June, July, August, September.
Fruits: Fruits are small nutlets with sticky glandular hairs that catch onto the fur of mammals and the feathers of birds.
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 full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80%  partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%
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wet moist dry
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low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation
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Aquatic and Wetland:
Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs
Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas |
Saltwater Areas:
In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches
Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas
Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks |
Forests and Thickets:
Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets
Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas
Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites |
Medicinal Uses: Snohomish boiled the leaves to make a tea for colds.
Landscape Uses: Great groundcover in woodland or partially shady areas, easy to propagate. Spreads readily by stolons.
Name Info: Named after the famous naturalist Carolus Linnaeus. It was his favorite plant
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Suggested References
- Alden, P., D. Paulson. 1998. National Audubon Society, Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. Chanticleer Press. Page 149.
- Gunther, E. 1973. 2nd ed. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press. Page 47.
- Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 472.
- Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 451.
- Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 284.
- Kruckeberg, A.R. 1996. 2nd ed. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 92.
- Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 68.
The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.
