SitkaNature: 1000 Species Project

Deerheart
Maianthemum dilatatum

This is a very common plant in the woods. Its leaves can completely obscucre the ground below them. Another common name is False Lily-of-the-Valley, but I prefer the name I learned growing up. I’m not sure, but I think deer utilize the leaves as food, since I have seen where the leaves had been browsed, and deer seem the most likely candidate. The flowers are sweet scented, and it forms red berries that can often be found on their long stem through the winter, long after the leaves have decayed.

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