Starflower

Family Name: Primulaceae (Primrose Family)

Latin Name: Trientalis borealis Hook.

(Also Known As): T. europaea var. latifolia

T. borealis ssp. latifolia

Common Names: Starflower

Western Starflower

Broad-leaved Starflower

Indian Potato

Related Species: T. arctica Fisch.

Botanical Description:

Habit: Herb – Perennial

Size: Up to 20 cm or 8 in tall

Arrangement: Terminally whorled symmetrically

Leaves: Up to 7 cm or 3 in long, egg-shaped to elliptic, 4-7 leaves per whorl

Flowers: Up to 15 mm broad, pink to rose, star-like, 5-8 pointed petals fused at base, several flowers each on a slender stalk, perfect, blooming from May to July, pollinated by insects

Fruit: Spherical capsules, very small

Underground Parts: rhizomatous with tubers up to 2 cm (4:355)

Personal Observation and Description: These happy little stars seem to dance on thin air above their leaf whorls when the wind picks up. They are soft little spring sprites playing quietly along many trails in the Pacific Northwest and they seem to get along well with candy flowers (Claytonia sibirica) and small-flowered penstemon (Penstemon procerus). Even though the flowers are far more sparse by mid-summer, their symmetrically decorative leaf whorls continue to contribute to the greenery lining the trails.

Ecology:

Habitat: Shady open forest, thickets, meadows, low to mid elevations

Range: West coast from north of B.C. and south to California (2) varieties found across northern states and Europe

Native Where: Pacific northwest

Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:

Food: Not eaten

Materials/Technology: No uses found

Medicine:

Part Used: Root

Medicinal Actions: Emetic (causing vomiting) (3)

Body System Associations: Digestive system

Cautions: If needed, use as last resort and use small doses

Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:

Food: The tubers have been reportedly gathered for food by some coastal groups (1:322)

Propagation:

Technique: Root division

Timing: Early spring or late fall

Personal Experience: Since this plant is rhizomatous, there can be groups of plants connected underground. Keeping them grouped, and moving them in their natural groups, helps them to maintain their strength after transplant. They flourish in rich soils around spots of sun within coniferous forests.

Personal Experience:

Materials/Technology: Flowers are great for artistic inspiration and decorative pressings

Other Notes of Interest: The latin name Trientalis means ‘1/3 of a foot in length’ which references the size of the plant. The species name latifolia means ‘broad-leaved’. (1:322)

Cautions: Do not eat.

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References Cited:

1. Mackinnon, Andy, and Jim Pojar. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Vancouver, British Columbia: Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing, 1994.

2. USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Plant Database. Online at http://plants.usda.gov.

3. Online at http://newpfaf.webhost4life.com/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Trientalis%20europaea.

4. Hitchcock, C. Leo and Arthur Cronquist. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1973.