Starflower

Starflower

Lysimachia borealis

Other names: Northern Starflower

Family: Myrsinaceae (Marlberry family)

Range: Eastern North America

Native: Native

Native Habitat: Woods, slopes, peaty soil

Bloom Time: May to June

Notes:

This is my favorite late spring forest flower – I love happening upon this in the woods, and will look for it whenever I’m in the right habitat.

It was formerly called Trientalis borealis, and considered to be part of the Primrose family. This is a great example of how plant classifications are constantly changing – you can easily find it under any of the above listed names online, and it’s not at all clear which is most current. As a side note – I adore the Lysimachia genus. It’s so varied! You get your seaside sea milkwort (pink), scarlet pimpernel (orange) and a whole host of yellows that show up in a variety of habitats. They do start looking similar when you look at the details (the fruits often give their relationships away).

One of the few flowers that have seven petals, though they can range from five to ten.

The seeds must have a period of cold stratification (aka – they really need a real winter), and they will not germinate until their second fall, which lets them be dispersed by insects.

3/12/23 Updated to current WordPress format. 9/12/26 Added photos and updated content.