Maianthemum canadense

Description

This may be one of the best native groundcover plant for part shade and shady areas. It has small leaves with a heart-shaped base and white flowers in May, in compact racemes. The fruits, green and then red berries, are translucent when ripe and very ornamental.

Beautiful and adapts well in the dry shade under mature trees although it grows better with more moisture provided. It can be grown by itself or as a carpet underneath taller shade perennials or shrubs. Often found growing with Mitchella repens, Trientalis borealis, Hepatica americana, Trillium grandiflorum, Carex rosea and other such woodland species.

Germination:  seeds kept moist after collecting, room temperature for about 6-8 weeks and then cold/moist, will start to germinate in the spring with rising temperatures (April-May). We thought that in the first season they will only develop a rhizome/roots but to our surprise by mid June the first leaves also started to grow.
This translates to: sowing outdoors in the fall (slightly warm cycle) and keep the pots over the winter also outdoors in a protected area (cold cycle).