• Family: Liliaceae (Lily) ^(USDA)
• Other Names: Bride's Bonnet, Bead Lily. ^{(Pojar & MacKinnon)}

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Image References

1. Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
2. Thayne Tuason, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
3. Mary Vaux Walcott, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Synonyms

• Smilacina uniflora Menzies ex Schult. & Schult.f. ^(POWO)

General: A low-growing, perennial herbaceous plant that spreads via underground rhizomes to form colonies. ^(FNAN)
Lifecycle: Perennial. ^(USDA)
Flowers: A single, delicate, star-like white flower sits atop a leafless stalk. The flower has six tepals and blooms from late spring to mid-summer depending on elevation. ^{(Pojar & MacKinnon)}
Fruits: The flower is replaced by a single, spherical berry, which ripens to a striking metallic blue color. ^{(Pojar & MacKinnon)}
Leaves: Two or three broad, oblong, shiny green basal leaves clasp the base of the flowering stalk. The leaves are smooth-edged and have parallel veins. ^(FNAN)
Habitat: Found in cool, moist to mesic coniferous forests, often in humus-rich soil. It is a common understory plant in montane and subalpine zones. ^{(Pojar & MacKinnon)}
Range: Native to western North America, from southern Alaska and British Columbia south to California, and east to Alberta, Montana, and Wyoming. ^(USDA)
Status: Native and generally common and secure within its range. ^{(NatureServe)}
Ecological Indicator: Its presence indicates moist, shady forest conditions with rich organic soils. The berries provide food for birds and small mammals, such as thrushes and chipmunks. ^(WNA)
Possible Lookalikes: The basal leaves can resemble those of other forest floor plants before flowering, such as wild ginger (Asarum species) or lady slippers (Cypripedium species). However, when in flower or fruit, the single stalk with a single white flower or single blue berry is highly distinctive. ^{(Pojar & MacKinnon)} The eastern species, Clintonia borealis, is similar but typically has more flowers (2-8) and yellow-greenish flowers. ^(FNAN)

Hazards

• The berries are considered inedible or mildly poisonous and should not be consumed. ^{(Turner & Kuhnlein)}

Food Uses

• There is no reliable record of this plant being used for food. The berries are not considered edible. ^{(Turner & Kuhnlein)}

Other Uses

• No significant 'other uses' have been documented. It is occasionally cultivated in native plant or woodland gardens for its attractive foliage and delicate flowers.

Medicinal Uses

• The leaves were used as a poultice or dressing for cuts, sores, and burns by some First Nations peoples, including the Skagit. ^(Moerman)
• A dermatological aid was made from the leaves by the Thompson people. ^(Moerman)

Phytochemistry

Research into the specific phytochemistry of Clintonia uniflora is limited. Like other members of the lily family, it may contain various alkaloids and saponins. The genus Clintonia is known to contain steroidal saponins. ^(PFAF)

Management and Control

As a native species, control is unnecessary. For cultivation, it requires a shaded location with consistently moist, acidic soil rich in organic matter, mimicking its natural forest floor habitat. It is slow to establish but will spread by rhizomes to form a groundcover once settled. ^(PFAF)

Propagation

Propagation is best done by division of the rhizomes in spring. It can also be grown from seed, which should be sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Seeds may take a long time to germinate and the plants will be slow to mature. ^(PFAF)

Lore & History

The common name Queen's Cup is a fitting description for the delicate single flower. The genus name Clintonia honors DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828), an American politician and naturalist who served as governor of New York. The species name 'uniflora' means 'one-flowered'. ^(WNA)

CLINTONIA BEAD LILY

Family: Liliaceae - Lily

Clintonia is a small genus of flowering plants, with about five species native to temperate North America and East Asia. They are rhizomatous perennials characterized by their basal leaves and umbels or single flowers on a scape. Other North American species include C. borealis (Bluebead Lily) in the east and C. andrewsiana (Andrew's Clintonia) on the California coast. ^(FNAN)

References

• (FNAN) - Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 20+ vols. New York and Oxford.
• (Moerman) - Moerman, D. E. (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press.
• (NatureServe) - NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
• (PFAF) - Plants For A Future. "Clintonia uniflora".
• (Pojar & MacKinnon) - Pojar, J., & MacKinnon, A. (1994). Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing.
• (POWO) - Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
• (Turner & Kuhnlein) - Turner, N. J., & Kuhnlein, H. V. (1991). Traditional plant foods of Canadian indigenous peoples: nutrition, botany, and use. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.
• (USDA) - USDA, NRCS. 2024. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
• (WNA) - Washington Native Plant Society. "Clintonia uniflora".