Bluebead lily (Clintonia borealis) has toxic berries, but it’s still an edible and medicinal wild plant. It’s gorgeous too, with pretty yellow flowers and stunning blue berries that form a gradient and marbled cluster of blue as they ripen.
Corn lily AKA bluebead lily is common around Halliburton in deciduous or mixed woods on moist hummus. It demands shade and indirect sunlight, and spreads slowly. The established patches you stumble upon could be up to 50 years old!
Edible Uses of Bluebead Lily
The young leaves up to a few inches tall, before they are fully unfurled, can be eaten raw or boiled. They have a taste reminiscent of cucumber or trout lily. Assuming they are like their relations, each plant needs at least half of their leaves to thrive. The leaves get tough and unpalatable as they mature.
The berries however are mildly toxic. An old account I read of them said they taste sweetish. Wiki says entirely unpleasant tasting. I’ll live with the mystery.
Some similar looking species are flat out poisonous. And because this is a plant that is hard to propagate, even though it’s common I agree with Lucy’s comments at the bottom on the page. I’ll paste them here so you don’t have to scroll:
Please don’t harvest or in any way harm these plants. They cannot easily be cultivated. They have many important relationships with the beings living around them. They take several years of growing to reach sexual maturity. They are probably older than you. Unless you have an authentic connection with them, and know how to work with them respectfully and safely (safe for the plant and safe for you) please just don’t. If you are lucky enough to know Bluebead Lily, bow down to them. Sit with them. Thank them. Paint a beautiful painting to honor them.
Lucy
Medicinal Uses of Bluebead Lily
Bluebead lily is primarily said to support these body systems:
- Integumentary
Medicinal tags include Antimicrobial and Astringent. See Medicinal tag key for more information.
Common usage includes a leaf poultice for sores and burns.
Alternative Uses of Yellow Clintonia
I have no idea if anyone still does this, but there’s record of people crushing the leaves and rubbing the juice on their face and hands as mosquito repellant. Otherwise it mostly attracts insects. A huge variety of pollinators suck the nectar and pollen from these pretty flowers:
Growing Clintonia Borealis
Sad to say, transplanting the northern lily is not recommended and germinating the seed is difficult. The first and most recent time I had to say that was with ghost pipe. But, like ghost pipe, you can try sowing some seeds..
If you have shady woods, specifically spots without direct sunlight, this plant may spontaneously appear there someday. It did in my woods. Amidst a massive patch of Canada mayflower. And there are patches of it in shady spots along my dirt road which I look forward to seeing every year.
WARNINGS
The berries are mildly toxic.
There are poison lookalikes.
And the Usual Cautions:
1) Most medicinal herbs, if edible, are meant to be eaten in moderation, even sparingly. Some require extra preparation. Tannins are toxic if consumed in excess. Before taking any new supplements, you should consult with a healthcare professional.
2) A vast amount of these herbs are diuretic. (See the Medicinal tags above to check if this featured herb is one of them!) Diuretics are generally safe, but they can be risky for people with other medical conditions or who take certain medications. Please consult your doctor if you have any health conditions.
3) People can be allergic or sensitive to nearly any plant; try new herbs one at a time at your own risk. For instance, saponins commonly cause stomach upset.
4) For serious medicinal use, I must recommend receiving a diagnosis and working with a reputed health care provider. I generally do not post specific treatments and dosages because I think that is best between you and your health care provider, and ideally monitored.
5) Anyone pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription drugs should talk to a health care professional before adding new food items to their diet.
6) Many plants have look-a-likes, and sometimes they are poisonous.
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REFERENCES
My new favourite foraging book is Sam Thayer’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: of Eastern and Central North America (The Sam Thayer’s Field Guides) Paperback – June 1, 2023 and this plant IS featured as one of the edible wild plants in this area. I highly recommend this guide for your bookshelves!
Clintonia borealis (Aiton) Rafinesque – Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN)
Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada
How Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine & Crafts (Native American)
Planting the Future: Saving Our Medicinal Herbs
Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants (Out of Print)
Please don’t harvest or in any way harm these plants. They cannot easily be cultivated. They have many important relationships with the beings living around them. They take several years of growing to reach sexual maturity. They are probably older than you. Unless you have an authentic connection with them, and know how to work with them respectfully and safely (safe for the plant and safe for you) please just don’t. If you are lucky enough to know Bluebead Lily, bow down to them. Sit with them. Thank them. Paint a beautiful painting to honor them.
Thanks – I pasted your comment above since most people don’t scroll this far.