PlantWatch

Starflower (Trientalis borealis)

Photo by Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden

French name: trientale boréale
Bloom time: May to June
Report for: NB, NS, PEI, NF

General: Starflower is a common woodland plant, particularly in Nova Scotia.

Leaves & Twigs: Plants emerge in the spring from thick underground roots. Later each plant will develop a shiny stem about 20 cm tall, rising out of a crown of shiny oval leaves.

Flowers & Fruit: One or two white, seven-petalled flowers appear on slender stalks. The star-shaped flowers of this plant are among the first to appear on the forest floor every spring. The flowers produce small brown pods, each with only a few seeds.

Habitat:The starflower is usually found in openings in mixed woods.

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