Twinflower

Linnaea borealis

The Twinflower is a tiny, pink flower that grows in pairs on a delicate stem. It loves to hide in cool, shady forests and is known for its sweet fragrance.

Habitat: Forests

Appearance

The Twinflower has delicate, bell-shaped flowers that hang in pairs from slender stalks. Each flower is pale pink to white, often streaked with darker pink inside, and has small, oval, evergreen leaves along its creeping stems.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderDipsacalesFamilyCaprifoliaceaeGenusLinnaea

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk)CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsView original ↗

Twinflower

Interesting facts

Carl Linnaeus, the famous botanist, loved this flower so much he named himself after it!

It's a 'circumboreal' plant, growing all the way around the top of the world!

Its tiny, bell-shaped flowers are sweetly scented, attracting buzzing insects from afar!

Some First Nations people used parts of Twinflower as a traditional medicine.

Special abilities

Twinflower has creeping stems that spread across the ground, helping it find new places to grow and form cozy carpets.

Twinflower always blooms with two perfect flowers on a single stalk, making it easy for pollinators to find them.

Twinflower keeps its small, round leaves green all winter, letting it make food when other plants are dormant.

Measurements & details

Height: 5-15 cm
Spread: 10-50 cm
Flower Size: 1-1.5 cm
Bloom Season: Summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

Pollinates

Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee

Bombus bohemicus

This bumblebee visits Twinflower for its nectar and pollen.

Pollinates

Western honey bee

Apis mellifera

Commonly visited by honey bees for nectar and pollen.

Eaten by

Moose

Alces alces

Provides a minor food source for moose and other browsers.

Shelter

White Spruce

Picea glauca

Often grows beneath the shade of white spruce trees in boreal forests.

Traits

Aromatic

Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.

Bell-Shaped Flower

Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

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.

Summer Blooming

Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.

Fragrant Flower

Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Forest

Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

Endangered

Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Plants

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers in the wild to keep them safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Twinflower?

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 Twinflower?

5-15 cm

How wide does Twinflower spread?

10-50 cm

How big are the flowers on Twinflower?

1-1.5 cm

When does Twinflower bloom?

Summer

Is Twinflower edible?

Is Twinflower toxic?

None

What is Twinflower's lifecycle?