Flower profile

Bluebead lily

Clintonia borealis

Native in the lower 48

Bluebead lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

21states

6of our state lists

23,811U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, Wisconsin

Quick look

Clintonia borealis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family. The specific epithet borealis means "of the north," which alludes to the fact that the species tends to thrive in the boreal forests of eastern Canada and northeastern United States. It is commonly known as bluebead, blue bead-lily, or yellow clintonia.
From Wikipedia's article Clintonia borealis, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Liliaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 21 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. ^NatureServe
In New Hampshire, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
In Vermont, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1.1 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 4,572 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #5 among the 109 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,415 research-grade sightings of it in Vermont, ranking #8 among the 110 flowers on our Vermont list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,054 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #11 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist

Bluebead lily gift ideas

Handmade bluebead lily gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,345 records)

Bloom time in each of our 6 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New Hampshire	Native	May–July	4,572
Vermont	Native	May–June	3,415
Maine	Native	May–June	3,054
Minnesota	Native	May–June	2,796
Michigan	Native	May–June	2,719
Wisconsin	Native	May–June	1,696

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (SH), IN (S1), MD (S2), OH (S1), TN (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: fruits. Symptoms they list: “This plant CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. No cases are known. Poisonous through ingestion. Poisonous parts are suspected to be the berries.” They also note: “Young leaves are chopped and added to salads, or boiled for 10 minutes and served with butter and seasonings. Sour flavor.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Blue Bead” (Clintonia borealis) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records bluebead lily in 21 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.

Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

More New Hampshire flowers

Yellow trout lily

Erythronium americanum

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🌼 Blooms in NH: April–May

Cucumber root

Medeola virginiana

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White fawnlily

Erythronium albidum

Native

🌼 Blooms: March–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CLBO3.
iNaturalist, Clintonia borealis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Clintonia borealis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Clintonia borealis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Annie Evankow via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.