woodland wildflower

Twinflower

Linnaea borealis

Also known as American Twinflower

Native to much of the USA and Canada

Canada and Alaska, southern in the northern 1/3 of the U.S. and through the western mountains (Pacific plants are usually considered subsp. longiflora; others are subsp. americana)

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Moist to wet Moisture preference
Zones 1–9 Cold to heat range
Bloom Jun–Sep Flowering time
Height
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

Full details, see below

In the garden

A woodland wildflower for sun through shade and consistently moist to wet soil. Hardy in USDA zones 1–9.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Fuzzy-Horned Bumble Bee

also Two-form Bumble Bee, Half-black Bumble Bee, Yellow-fronted Bumble Bee +16 more
Sitka Bumble Bee, Slender-faced Masked Bee, Annulate Masked Bee, Cresson's Sweat Bee, Osmia pumila, Osmia proxima, Marin County Sweat Bee, Knerer's Sweat Bee, Osmia tristella, Lasioglossum pleurospeculum, Lasioglossum euboeense, Lasioglossum laeve, Great Banded Furrow Bee, Hylaeus ellipticus, Lasioglossum subfasciatum, Quebec Sweat Bee
Flower flies Common Loopwing Aphideater

also Hairy-eyed Halfband, Symmetric Globetail, Carposcalis confusa +3 more
Platycheirus rosarum, Platycheirus modestus, Eupeodes lapponicus
Butterflies Dun Skipper
Also visited by
- Moths: Snowberry Clearwing

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and CanadaUnited States (32): AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, UT, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY. Canada (10): AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Canada and Alaska, southern in the northern 1/3 of the U.S. and through the western mountains (Pacific plants are usually considered subsp. longiflora; others are subsp. americana)The same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Moist to wetThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 1–9 · Canadian 0–9The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Cool, moist, acidic, humus-rich soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: AcidicThe acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Drought tolerance: LowRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.

Growth & form

Spread: ~3 ft (1 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Jun–SepWhen it flowers.
Flower color: White, PinkThe bloom color, or colors.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.