Linnaea Species, Twin Flower, Twinflower

This species has a circumpolar distribution. In North America, it occurs from Alaska, the Yukon, Mackenzie District through to Hudson's ...Read MoreBay, northern Quebec, Newfoundland, and south to California, Arizona, New Mexico, South Dakota, Indiana, and West Virginia (ref. Flora of Alberta, Moss & Packer). It is often an abundant understory plant in its preferred habitats (boreal to mixed forest).

This plant was named in tribute to Carl Linnaeus, born in Sweden, who is credited for giving us the scientific names of plants. There is ...Read Morea nice scent to the tiny twin flowers which bloom in summer. This plant is an endangerd spiecies and seldom seen. It will spread, if your lucky, but is non-invasive. It is the national flower of Switerland and much revered in Sweden and Scotland.
The Twinflower has 4 stamens, 2 of which are longer than the others. Leaves are oval or round and are about a half inch long.It has tiny dry fruits that are sticky because of hooked bristles that are readily attached to animals and birds.
It is available from very few sources and alot of those sources are from overseas. Research on this plant was difficult as most references were from, or in, a foriegn language.
The plant is so named because it bears identical flowers, twins, as it were, and sometimes the twin flowers have twin flowers, very rare, but it happens. I find this plant so fascinating.