Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Bluebead Lily, Corn Lily, Cow Tongue, Snakeberry

Description:

A native perennial plant with lusterous, strap like leaves that are shiny green, arranged in a rosette; lovely yellow bell flowers in spring on tall spikes, followed by shiny deep blue berries in summer; a great addition to the shady garden, or pondside

Ornamental Features

Yellow Clintonia features dainty spikes of yellow bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring. It features an abundance of magnificent royal blue berries in early summer. Its glossy oval leaves remain green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Yellow Clintonia is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Yellow Clintonia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Yellow Clintonia will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 8 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.

Yellow Clintonia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.