Linnaea borealis

Twinflower was Linnaeus' favorite plant, and was renamed from Campanula serpyllifolia in his honor.
Photo Credit: © Gary A. Monroe, USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database.
Linnaea borealis
Common Name: twinflower
Other Common Names: American twinflower, northern twinflower
Plant Functional Group: Evergreen forb
Class > Order > Family: Magnoliopsida > Dipsacales > Linnaeaceae
What does the species look like?

Twinflower is an evergreen, perennial, mat-forming, semi-woody plant to subshrub growing 3 to 6 inches tall, and spreading by above-ground creeping stems (stolons). Its small but showy, pink flowers have both male and female parts, and occur in pairs on a stalk.

Twinflower grows in dry to wet soils of a variety of textures, in cooler climates. It can grow in full sun to shade, from foothills to the subalpine zone, in alpine meadows, forests, and peat bogs, as well as tundra.
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AB, AK, AZ, BC, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MB, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NB, ND, NH, NJ, NL, NM, NS, NT, NU, NY, OH, ON, OR, PA, PE, QC, RI, SD, SK, TN, UT, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY, YT
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see...?
Leaves Young leaves
One or more young leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "young" before it has reached full size or turned the darker green color or tougher texture of mature leaves on the plant. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.


Flowers Flowers or flower buds
One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds or inflorescences that are swelling or expanding, but do not include those that are tightly closed and not actively growing (dormant). Also do not include wilted or dried flowers.
More...

How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers.

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.
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What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Fruits Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Linnaea borealis, the fruit is a tiny, sticky capsule that changes from green to tan or brown as it dries out.
More...

How many fruits are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Linnaea borealis, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned tan or brown and has dried out.
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What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
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How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

USDA PLANTS profile for twinflower (USDA Symbol: LIBO3 )