Common Name: Star-Flowered Lily Of The Valley

General Information

Maianthemum stellatum is an erect, herbaceous perennial plant producing a cluster of stems 15 - 45cm tall from a proliferatively spreading rhizomatous rootstock[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, where it can be used as a ground cover.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

N. America - Alaska to Newfoundland, south to California and northwest Mesico, New Mexico and Virginia

Habitat

Sand dunes, marginal woodlands, oak openings; at elevations from sea level to 3,200 metres[]. Woods, thickets and open meadows, on gravelly and alluvial soils[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a deep fertile humus rich moisture retentive soil, neutral to slightly acid, that does not dry out in the growing season, and a shady position[]. Does well in a woodland garden[].
Plants have a creeping rhizome and can form extensive patches[]. Fruits well in a shady woodland position at Kew[].
Hardy to about -25°c[].
Plants are slow to establish but then can become invasive[].
The flowers are powerfully scented[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. The fruit is about the size of a pea and is produced on the plant in small terminal clusters of about 2 - 8 berries[]. It has a nice bitter-sweet flavour that is somewhat reminiscent of treacle[, ]. The fruit is a good source of vitamin C, it has been used to prevent scurvy[]. The fruit is said to be laxative in large quantities when eaten raw, especially if you are not used to eating it, though thorough cooking removes this laxative effect[].

Young leaves - raw or cooked.
The young shoots, as they emerge in spring, can be used as an asparagus substitute[]. The young shoots and leaves are cooked and used as greens[].

Root - cooked. It should be soaked in alkaline water first to get rid of a disagreeable taste[, ]. It can be eaten like potatoes[].

Medicinal

Star-flowered lily of the valley was employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism.

A decoction of the leaves is taken 2 - 3 times a day in the treatment of rheumatism and colds[]. Half a cup of leaf tea drunk daily for a week by a woman is said to prevent conception[, ].

The root is analgesic, antiseptic, haemostatic, ophthalmic, stomachic and vulnerary[]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of stomach complaints, internal pains and to regulate menstrual disorders[, ].
The dried powdered root has been used in treating wounds and bleeding[, ]. The crushed root has been used as a poultice on sprains, boils, swellings and limbs affected by rheumatism[]. The pulped root has been used as ear drops to treat ear aches[]. An infusion of the roots has been used as a wash for inflamed eyes[].

Other Uses

Plants can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 60cm apart each way[]. An inferior cover to S. racemosa[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking 18 months. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as soon as possible, it may take 2 years or longer to germinate. Grow the seedlings on in a shady part of a greenhouse for their first year without pricking them out, giving them liquid or foliar feeds as required to ensure that they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the young plants up into individual pots in the autumn when they are dormant, and grow them on for at least another year in a shady part of the greenhouse. When the plants have reached a sufficient size, plant them out in the autumn whilst they are dormant.
Division in spring or early autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.