Twinflower is found throughout the northern hemisphere. In fact, the scientific
name borealis means northern. It prefers cool, dark forests,
alpine zones, woodlands, and boggy or rocky shorelines.
Plants: Plants are evergreen, essentially a micro-shrub.
They keep a very low profile, less than
4″ (10 cm), up to about 6″ (15 cm) when in flower, so they are easy to miss. They are evergreen. Fine hairy red-brown stems
creep along the ground, rooting to start new plants.
Leaves: Opposite, shiny, oval, and unlobed. Larger leaves
have a few small indentations along the edge. Leaves are ¼-⅝″ (8.4-16 mm) × ¼-⅝″ (6.3-16 mm).
Flowers: Delicate pink funnel-shaped flowers top
small, hairy stems, from which they hang like bells. Flowers occur in pairs, hence the name “twinflower.”
Each flower is up to ½″ (1.3 cm) long, with five lobes and a hairy throat. They have a mild
fragrance. Flowers appear from June to September.
If you were Lilliputian, perhaps an inch tall, twinflowers would look like this. · 6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.5 cm)