Twinflower

The Twinflower is a small evergreen shrub plant. Its thin, more than one-metre long stem creeps on the ground and often gets covered by moss on the forest floor. Its delicate flowers bloom in June and July.

Twinflower occurs in heathlands and in cold climates. Its distribution area includes Northern Europe, North America and northern parts of Asia. The Twinflower can be found in different kinds of conifer forests, but it prefers older forest stands, such as spruce forests with a uniform moss base. The plant is sensitive to disturbances and competes poorly for space.

The Twinflower was named after the “father of modern taxonomy,” Carl von Linné because it was his favourite plant. The plant’s paired blossoms release their scent at night. The extract from Twinflower was used as a love potion in the past.