Maianthemum canadense
A North American native woodland perennial in the Asparagaceae family that spreads by rhizomes to form carpet-like colonies, grows 3–6 inches tall in partial shade, blooms in May–June with a densely packed spike of small white flowers, and later bears green berries ripening to dark red.
Common Names
Canada Mayflower, Wild Lily-of-the-Valley, False Lily-of-the-Valley, Two-Leaved Solomon's-Seal, Canadian Lily-of-the-Valley, Canadian Mayflower, Canadian May-Lily, Muguet, Canada Beadruby
Summary
Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) is a native woodland perennial in the Asparagaceae family that forms dense colonies in shaded forests and woodlands across Canada and the northeastern United States, it grows as an understory herb arising from a branching rhizomatous rootstock, typically 4–10 inches tall, with sterile shoots bearing a single leaf and fertile shoots bearing two to three heart-shaped leaves on the stem, flowering shoots carry a dense raceme of 12–25 small white star-shaped flowers, followed by red berries that ripen later in the season, and the plant spreads vegetatively to form carpet-like colonies, it favors shaded, moist to humus-rich soils in deciduous and coniferous forests and tolerates a range of soils, thriving best in partial to full shade, commonly used as ground cover in shady areas or woodland gardens, where it spreads by rhizomes to form colonies and is hardy in USDA zones 2–7, flowers attract pollinators such as bees, while berries provide food for birds and small mammals, propagation can be by division of rhizomes or by seed, and the plant is noted for low-maintenance growth as a woodland ground cover
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4-10 inches
Spread
6-14 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-7
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally partial shade; tolerates partial shade to full shade
Soil Type
Moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil, slightly acidic to neutral
Soil Drainage
Moist but well-drained
Soil pH
5.5 and above (non-acidic)
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
5.9–11.8 inches per year (15–30 cm/year)
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, other pollinators, and birds.
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Desf.
- Publication
- Ann. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 9: 54 (1807)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Genus
- Maianthemum
Synonyms
Styrandra amplexicaulis Smilacina canadensis Unifolium eschscholtzianum Maianthemum canadense f. oswaldii Maianthemum canadense f. trifolium Maianthemum canadense var. carolinianum Maianthemum canadense var. interius Smilacina canadensis var. trifolia Smilacina canadensis var. ovalis Unifolium bifolium var. ovale Unifolium bifolium var. trifolium Unifolium canadense var. interius Convallaria canadensis Maianthemum bifolium f. canadense Smilacina bifolia var. canadensis Styrandra canadensis Maianthemum canadense var. canadense Maianthemum canadense f. canadense Unifolium canadense Maianthemum canadense subsp. interius Maianthemum canadense var. ovale