Maianthemum canadense
Canada Mayflower
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Clusters of tiny white flowers adorn this fragrant spring blooming woodland plant that stands only 6 inches tall.
Description:
Canada Mayflower has small white flowers in spring and lush, shiny leaves. It sends up a single infertile stalk with one leaf and no accompanying flowers, as well as a single fertile stalk with 2 leaves. Tiny fragrant white flowers are borne in clusters atop this fertile stalk. Canada Mayflower is a woodland plant that stands only 6 inches tall. By late summer, small berries replace the flowers. Canada Mayflower prefers part shade but tolerates full shade, and prefers acidic, moist, sandy soil. Grow your own Canada Mayflower in your shady garden, in natural areas, or along woodland edges. It makes an excellent ground cover due to its extensive creeping rhizomes that aid in its spread.
Wildlife Value: Birds including Ruffed Grouse, and other wildlife eat the berries. The flowers provide an early nectar source for bees.
Plant Details:
Other Common Names: False Lily of the Valley
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer
Bloom Colors: White
Deer Resistance: Unknown
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Birds
Salt Tolerance: Unknown
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Grows in Special Ecoregions: Pinelands
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic, Slightly Acidic
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Partial Shade
Light Range: Partial Shade, Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Drought Tolerance: Low
Size and Growth Rate
Height: .5 - .75 ft
Spread: .5 - .75 ft
Growth Rate: Slow