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False Lily-of-the-Valley
Maianthemum dilatatum
The rhizomes of this lovely perennial creep along underground allowing these herbs to cover the moist, shady forest floor. The heart shaped leaves and tiny white flowers in terminal cylindrical clusters add to the beauty of springtime in Northwest forests.
Blooming in early May, the genus name - Maianthemum -means May Flower. The flowers give way to the light green and mottled brown berries which turn red in the Fall.
Many Northwest tribes ate the berries sparingly with oil and used the leaves and roots for various medical ailments.
