Flowers That Live in the Deciduous Forest

Deciduous literally means "to fall off." Consequently, a deciduous forest is one in which the trees shed their leaves at a certain season--during the winter. Deciduous forests can be found in temperate zones located below coniferous forests and above tropical forests. There are relatively few deciduous forests left, but the soil is very fertile, and a lot of plants still grow in deciduous forest biomes, including flowers.

Bluebead lily, also known as yellow clintonia, corn lily, yellow beadlily, dogberry, and strawlily, is a member of the lily family that grows in deciduous forests during July and August. The plants grow in colonies and reach up to 40 cm in height. The bluebead lily has greenish-yellow flowers, which are bell-shaped and produce bead-like porcelain berries that grow in clusters. These berries look very tempting, but they are foul-tasting and may be confused with blueberries by children.

Goldenrods are perennial plants that are part of the genus Solidago. These flowers grow in a variety of habitats, such as open fields, swamps, and forests. Goldenrods grow in deciduous forests and are easily recognizable by their small yellow flowers. Goldenrods produce heavy, sticky pollen and are thus primarily pollinated by insects. Goldenrods bloom in late summer and early fall; they cause allergic reactions in some people. Goldenrod is a food source for the larvae of different Lepidoptera species. The larvae burrow into the goldenrod, causing it to produce a bulbous mass tissue that the larvae feed on. Woodpeckers usually peck these galls open in order to eat the insects within.

The wild lily of the valley is a perennial plant, part of the ruscaceae family, which thrives in deciduous forests. It is known by other names like bead ruby, Canada Mayflower, Canada bead ruby, and squirrel berry. The lily of the valley is a hardy plant that grows in extensive colonies by spreading rhizomes, which are underground stems. It produces white flowers shaped like bells. The lily of the valley also produces small berries, which turn red in the fall and provide food for animals such as squirrels and chipmunks. Lily of the valley has long leaves, as tall as the flower stem. These leaves usually die back after the flowers bloom, and the berries replace the flowers. Lily of the valley blooms for about three weeks in spring, from late March to early June.