Bloomipedia
Twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
Photo: Dawn Nelson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Twinflower

Linnaea borealis

Native in the lower 48

Twinflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

32states
4of our state lists
14,476U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Washington

Quick look

Linnaea borealis is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is the only species in the genus Linnaea. It is a boreal to subarctic woodland subshrub, commonly known as twinflower.

  • It belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Washington, Maine, Montana and New Hampshire. NatureServe
  • In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. iNaturalist
  • In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,428 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #31 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 925 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #84 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 781 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #51 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist

Twinflower gift ideas

Handmade twinflower gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Twinflower art print

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    Twinflower mug

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    Twinflower embroidery pattern

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    Twinflower sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,456 records)
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
WashingtonNativeMay–August4,428
MaineNativeJune–July925
MontanaNativeJune–July781
New HampshireNativeJune–August324

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
Washington
No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
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
Montana
No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
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
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AZ (S1), IA (S1), IN (SX), OH (SX), PA (S1), TN (SX), WV (S1). (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 peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 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 twinflower in 32 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Washington counties with USDA records: Chelan, Clallam, Columbia, Cowlitz, Ferry, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

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

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Carbon, Cascade, Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Hill, Lake, Lincoln, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Phillips, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli, Rosebud, Sanders, Silver Bow, Teton.

More Washington flowers

Wild teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)

Wild teasel

Dipsacus fullonum

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in WA: July–September
Twinberry honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata)

Twinberry honeysuckle

Lonicera involucrata

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: April–July
Northern bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)

Northern bush honeysuckle

Diervilla lonicera

Native

🌼 Blooms: June–July

Sources