May Lily
ExplorePlants
May Lily
Maianthemum bifolium
May Lily is a lovely little flower that blooms in the spring. It has pretty white flowers and grows in shady places, making it a delightful sight in the forest.
Habitat: Forests
Appearance
The May Lily is a small woodland plant with two distinctive, glossy heart-shaped green leaves. It has a delicate spike of tiny, star-shaped white flowers that bloom atop a slender stem, making it stand out against the forest floor.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassLiliopsidaOrderAsparagalesFamilyAsparagaceaeGenusMaianthemum
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
After flowering, this plant grows cheerful red berries that look like tiny jewels!
Although it looks delicate, this plant can live for many years, returning each spring!
Its scientific name, 'bifolium,' means 'two leaves' in Latin, perfectly describing its look!
May Lilies often create beautiful carpets of green and white across shady forest floors!
Special abilities
Ability
Underground Navigator
May Lily can spread quickly using strong underground stems called rhizomes, helping it colonize new areas and form large patches.
Ability
Berry Bright
May Lily has bright red berries that attract birds, which then help disperse its seeds to new locations when they eat the fruit.
Ability
Mildly Protective
May Lily contains compounds that make its berries taste unpleasant and slightly toxic, which can deter some animals from eating too many of them.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 10-25 cm
- Spread
- 5-15 cm
- Flower Size
- 0.3-0.5 cm
- Bloom Season
- Late spring to early summer
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- Mild
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
Honey bee
Apis mellifera
collects nectar and pollen
pollinates
Buff-tailed bumblebee
Bombus terrestris
visits flowers for nectar
eaten by
Common blackbird
Turdus merula
eats ripe berries, spreading seeds
eaten by
Black slug
Arion ater
grazes on leaves and stems
Traits
Bell-Shaped Flower
Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell.
Deciduous
Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
Flowering
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Ornamental
Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
Cluster Flower
Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
Shade Tolerant
Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
Spring Blooming
Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always look but don't pick flowers, so everyone can enjoy them!
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is May Lily?
10-25 cm
How wide does May Lily spread?
5-15 cm
How big are the flowers on May Lily?
0.3-0.5 cm
When does May Lily bloom?
Late spring to early summer
Is May Lily edible?
No
Is May Lily toxic?
Mild
What is May Lily's lifecycle?
Perennial
How is May Lily pollinated?
Insect
Snap Map
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