Image of Clintonia borealis
Source: Margaret Unger
Clintonia borealis

Plant Names

image of Flowering plant
Clintonia borealis
Yellow Clintonia
Clintonie boréale

Plant Characteristics

Bloom Colour: Yellow Bloom Period: May - Jun
Max Height: 2.0 feet
Max Width: 1.0 feet (spreads by rhizome)
Light Condition:
Part shade More than 2 or 3 hours but less than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Full shade Less than 2 or 3 hours of direct sun a day
Soil conditions:
Moisture medium Tolerates medium soil condition
Moisture wet Tolerates wet soil condition
Lifespan: Perennial plants that will come back year after year
Gardener Experience:
plant spread by rhizome Spreads by rhizome
plant stratification Requires stratification
Landscape Uses:
woodland garden Suitable for woodland gardens
Ecological Benefits:
Bird friendly Supports birds
Tolerates:
Acidic Soil Tolerant Tolerates acidic soil conditions
Special Features and Considerations:

Seed and plant distribution status

No seeds available for this plant.
We currently accept seeds for this plant

Plant Location

Distribution according to VASCAN

Distribution: Clintonia borealis
Ephemeral Native Introduced Excluded Extirpated Doubtful Absent

No ecozone information available for this plant.

Ecological Benefits

Butterflies Supported by Clintonia borealis

No butterfly data available for this plant.

Specialized Bees Supported by Clintonia borealis

No bee data available for this plant.

Complementary Plants

Substitute For Non-Native Plants

  • Astilbe (Astilbe)

Sowing Information

Download Seed Envelope Labels (PDF)
  • Sowing depth: Sow just below surface
  • Sow anytime
  • Stratification duration: 2 years
  • Double dormancy required
  • Notes: Keep seeds moist in fridge. Sow promptly

Harvesting and Seed Sharing

  • Harvest start month: July
  • Harvesting indicator:
    • Berries are ripen and easily fall off or have fallen off
  • Harvesting:
    • Squeeze berries to extract seeds, wash with soapy water to remove flesh, rinse throroughly using a strainer
  • Seed viability test:
    • No test needed before donating
  • Packaging measure: None
  • Seed storage:
    • Keep moisten and cool, in a ziploc bag, in the fridge, with the seeds in soil, paper towel or coffee filter, until donation
  • Cultivar: No, you can donate without knowing the source as there are only straight species
  • Remove non-seed material
  • No harvesting video available at this time.