Alphabetical Plant Listing

Clintonia uniflora (Queen Cup)

Bride's Bonnet, Queen Cup, Bead Lily, Blue-Bead Lily, Blue Bead, Beadlily, Clintonia, One-Flowered Clintonia, Queencup Beadlily, Single-Flowered clintonia, Smilacina borealis var. uniflora


Carpeting the forest floor, Clintonia uniflora (Queen Cup) is a charming woodland perennial forming a basal clump of 2-3 fleshy, oblong, glossy green leaves, up to 6 in. long (15 cm). From late spring to mid-summer, a leafless flowering stalk rises well above the basal rosette. It bears one or two star-like white flowers with bright yellow stamens. Each blossom is followed by an exquisite amethyst-blue berry in late summer. The berries are relished by ruffled grouse. Lovely in groups under trees, in cool, moist, shady locations where it will happily multiply to form an attractive ground cover. This North American species can live for 30 or more years.

  • Grows in clumps up to 6-10 in. tall and wide (15-25 cm). This understory plant has slender rhizomes that spread gradually, forming large, long-lived colonies over time.
  • Easily grown in organically rich, moist, well-drained soils in part shade or full shade.
  • Great for shade gardens, woodland gardens, underplanting shrubs or roses, bogs, or along ponds and streams.
  • No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for slugs and snails.
  • Propagate by root divisions taken in spring or by seed. Seedlings will take up to 4 years to flower.
  • Native to western North America.

Buy Clintonia uniflora (Queen Cup)

Requirements

Hardiness 4 – 8
Heat Zones 1 – 8
Plant Type Perennials
Exposure Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest Spring (Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Height 6" – 10" (15cm – 25cm)
Spread 6" – 10" (15cm – 25cm)
Spacing 12" (30cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy, Fruit & Berries
Native Plants United States, Alaska, California, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Rocky Mountains, Montana
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Ground Covers, Ponds and Streams, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow

Buy Plants


Steve Cyr, Jason Hollinger (Flickr), Robert Mutch (Shutterstock)

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.


Requirements

Hardiness 4 – 8
Heat Zones 1 – 8
Plant Type Perennials
Exposure Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest Spring (Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Height 6" – 10" (15cm – 25cm)
Spread 6" – 10" (15cm – 25cm)
Spacing 12" (30cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy, Fruit & Berries
Native Plants United States, Alaska, California, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Rocky Mountains, Montana
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Ground Covers, Ponds and Streams, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow

Plant Calculator

How many Clintonia uniflora (Queen Cup) do I need for my garden?

%
ft
ft

Your Shopping List

Plant Quantity
Clintonia uniflora (Queen Cup)

Find your Hardiness Zone

Find your Climate Zone

Find your Heat Zone

Join Gardenia.net

Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

Join now and start creating your dream garden!

Create a New Collection

Optional. For your reference.


Move Selected Plants to a Different Collection


Delete Collection

This field is required.

Rename Collection

This field is required.