# bluebead lily (*Clintonia borealis*) The bluebead lily is a beautiful flower that grows in shady forests. Its bright blue berries are a special treat for birds and other animals! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 37 - **Habitat:** Forests ![bluebead lily](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Clintonia_borealis_maine.JPG&width=800) Photo: Choess, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clintonia_borealis_maine.JPG) ## Appearance The bluebead lily has a single stem with glossy, broad, lance-shaped basal leaves and small, yellowish-green, bell-shaped flowers. Its most striking feature is its cluster of bright, iridescent blue berries, which look like tiny beads. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Liliales - **Family:** Liliaceae - **Genus:** Clintonia ## Interesting facts - Even though it's called a lily, it's actually part of a different plant family! - Its name comes from its incredible, shiny blue berries, which are truly unique! - Some people call it 'corn lily' because its leaves look like small corn sprouts. - This hardy plant can live for decades, returning to the same spot every spring! ## Special abilities - **Berry Beacon:** Bluebead lily has brilliant blue berries that attract birds to help spread its seeds far and wide! - **Forest Floor Dweller:** Bluebead lily can thrive in the cool, shady understory of forests, perfect for growing where other plants struggle. - **Underground Spreader:** Bluebead lily has rhizomes (underground stems) that help it spread and form new clumps of plants. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-40 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Attracted to the yellow-green flowers - **Eats:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Consumes berries, helping disperse seeds - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on the plant's leaves ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not eat any berries you find without asking an adult first! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify bluebead lily? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is bluebead lily? 15-40 cm ### How wide does bluebead lily spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on bluebead lily? 1-2 cm ### When does bluebead lily bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is bluebead lily edible? No ### Is bluebead lily toxic? Mild ### What is bluebead lily's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bear Swamp](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-swamp) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Carriage Paths, Bridges and Gatehouses](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carriage-paths-bridges-and-gatehouses) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Catskill Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/catskill-park) — New York, US · Nature Reserve - [Days Ferry Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/days-ferry-historic-district) — US · Historic District - [Enfield Shaker Museum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/enfield-shaker-museum) — New Hampshire, US · Museum - [Harraseeket Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harraseeket-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District [View all places to see bluebead lily](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bluebead-lily) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Bluebead Lily: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bluebead-lily)