Wildflower Wednesday July edition. I hope my US followers had a safe and fun day celebrating Independence Day. I was considering doing a post with flowers that reminded me of fireworks- bright, bold and explode-y. However, as I started going through all of my pictures I was saving far too many summer blooms that fit that category. I settled on the Blue Bead Lily, which ironically is more frequently called by its scientific name: Clintonia.
Clintonia has a big, bold pink bloom. It’s many flowers make up a spherical shape on top of a long stem that rises from its thick, shiny elongated leaves. These flowers die off, and rounded seed pods form. They start off green, and slowly change to cream colored, then turn the most blue color of blue found in a berry!
- Scientific Name: Clintonia andrewsiana
- Family: Liliaceae
- Common Names: Andrew’s Lily, Blue Bead Lily, Red Clintonia
- Grows: In shady, moist areas near coastal forests. Native to Oregon and Northern California
- Blooming Time: Late spring to early summer
- Bloom Colors: Reds, pinks to purples
- Height: the stem can reach up to 2.5 feet. The 5-6 thick, green leaves reach a height of 10 inches.
Fun fact: Once the seed germinates, and the plant begins to grow, it can take up to 4 years for the plant to flower.
As always- go on an adventure, no matter what day it is, and see what you can find growing in the wild! Tag me in pictures with your findings!
You must be logged in to post a comment.