The woods on Cape Cod house this easily overlooked little spring beauty. Starflower does not form dense mats like bearberry, nor does it produce colorful berries. Also, the leaves are of a green similar to the surrounding grasses so you could be forgiven for missing this little plant altogether. The flowers and leaves disappear in the summer, and finding the seed stalks of Trientalis borealis would be like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. The flowers are of the purest white and often have 7 petals, although this can vary, and there are one, two, or sometimes three flowers to a single plant.
Trientalis borealis reproduces in two ways: First, it produces seeds that normally fall nearby the parent plant. There is some dispersal possible (by birds, insects or mammals) because a cold treatment is needed which means that the seeds can’t germinate until the autumn of the next year. The other way of propagation is by sending out rhizomes in early summer. That is why starflower is often found in loose groups or colonies.
Trientalis borealis Brewster Museum of Natural History
Do you know if it is possible to purchase this plant? I live on the Cape and love this.
Hi Meg – better late than never 😉 I have not seen starflower anywhere for sale, but I will take another look at NEWFS.