Maianthemum stellatum
Starry false lily of the valley
(c) Joshua Mayer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Ruscaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Maianthemum stellatum (Starry false lily of the valley) is a native California herb in the Ruscaceae family, recognized by leaf arrangement, flower parts (6 vs 4), and stem characteristics.
Starry false lily of the valley is a California native perennial found in northwestern, northern California, Sierra Nevada, central western, southwestern, Warner, and eastern Sierra Nevada regions in moist woodland, streambanks, and open slopes at elevations below 2,400 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white flowers in racemes 2 to 8 centimeters long with 5 to 15 delicate blooms. Growing with straight or slightly zigzag stems 30 to 70 centimeters tall that are smooth to finely hairy, it spreads through a rhizome 3 to 5 millimeters in diameter. Its leaves are large and lance-shaped, typically more than 5 per stem, measuring 5 to 17 centimeters long with finely hairy undersides. The fruit develops as a 7 to 10 millimeter red-purple to black berry, containing small brown seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by leaf arrangement, flower parts (6 vs 4), and stem characteristics
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist woodland, streambanks, open slopes
Elevation: < 2400 m
California counties: Humboldt, Inyo, Mono, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Tulare, Tuolumne, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Nevada, Shasta, Siskiyou, Monterey, San Mateo, Trinity, Sonoma, Modoc, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Fresno, Del Norte, Santa Barbara, Madera, San Francisco, Colusa, Marin, Placer, El Dorado, Plumas, Glenn, Tehama, Lassen, Sierra, Mendocino, Butte, Kern, Ventura, Contra Costa, Napa, San Diego, Alpine
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern North America
Bloom period
Maianthemum stellatum blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Prosartes: Maianthemum has terminal flower clusters; Prosartes has flowers dangling from leaf axils beneath foliage.; vs Polygonatum: Maianthemum flowers in upright terminal clusters; Polygonatum flowers dangle below arching stems from leaf axils.; vs Epipactis: Maianthemum has simple star-shaped flowers; Epipactis has distinctive orchid flowers with lip and hood.; vs Veratrum: Maianthemum stays knee-high with tiny flowers; Veratrum towers overhead with large pleated leaves.; vs Streptopus: Maianthemum flowers in terminal clusters; Streptopus flowers hang singly from bent stalks beneath leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Maianthemum stellatum native to California?
Yes. Maianthemum stellatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Maianthemum stellatum bloom?
Maianthemum stellatum blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Maianthemum stellatum grow?
Maianthemum stellatum occurs in Humboldt, Inyo, Mono, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Tulare and other counties, at elevations of < 2400 m.
What plant family does Maianthemum stellatum belong to?
Maianthemum stellatum is in the Ruscaceae family, genus Maianthemum.
What habitat does Maianthemum stellatum grow in?
Maianthemum stellatum grows in Moist woodland, streambanks, open slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.