Linnaea borealis L.

Twinflower

About plant names...

Twinflower is found throughout the northern hemisphere. In fact, the scientific name borealis means northern. It pre­fers cool, dark forests, alpine zones, woodlands, and boggy or rocky shorelines.

Plants: Plants are evergreen, essentially a micro-shrub. They keep a very low profile, less than 4" (10 cm), up to about 6" (15 cm) when in flower, so they are easy to miss. They are evergreen. Fine hairy red-brown stems creep along the ground, rooting to start new plants.

Leaves: Opposite, shiny, oval, and unlobed. Larger leaves have a few small indentations along the edge. Leaves are ¼-⅝" (8.4-16 mm) × ¼-⅝" (6.3-16 mm).

Flowers: Delicate pink funnel-shaped flowers top small, hairy stems, from which they hang like bells. Flowers occur in pairs, hence the name “twinflower.” Each flower is up to ½" (1.3 cm) long, with five lobes and a hairy throat. They have a mild fragrance. Flowers appear from June to Sep­tember.

Fruits: Small, dry, 3-celled pod with one seed.

Online References:

The U.S. Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers site

Minnesota Wildflowers

Gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Wikimedia Commons (Photos)

Depts.washington.edu

Botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 4½" (15 × 11 cm)

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 3" (10 × 7.9 cm)

6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 7 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm)

6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 7 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm)

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine

6/16/2023 · Ovens Mouth West, White Trail, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

6/3/2021 · Widgeon Cove, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 2½ × 2½" (6.8 × 6.3 cm)

Linnaea borealis description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Jul 2023.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine

6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 3½ × 2½" (9.4 × 6.3 cm)

If you were Lilliputian, perhaps an inch tall, twinflowers would look like this. · 6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.5 cm)

6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 5 × 4" (13 × 10 cm)

6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine

6/3/2021 · Widgeon Cove, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

9/18/2016 · Barred Island Preserve, Deer Isle, Maine

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine

Range:

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