Shinleaf

Pyrola elliptica

Pronunciation: py-ROH-luh ee-LIP-tih-kuh

Shinleaf flowering at Ryerson Woods, Illinois. Tap the photograph to enlarge.

NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA

At a glance

Family Ericaceae · heath family
Life cycle Evergreen perennial
Blooms June–August in the Upper Midwest
Height Usually 5–10 inches
Light & habitat Partial shade to shade; deciduous and coniferous woods

Other names
Waxflower Shinleaf · Elliptic Shinleaf · White Wintergreen

Bloom timing and height vary with location. Sources: Minnesota Wildflowers and NC State Extension.

Sightings map

Explore photographed sightings and their locations.

Field photographs

These three photographs show Shinleaf at Cedarburg Bog, Wisconsin, and Ryerson Woods, Illinois. Compare the whole plant, oval basal leaves, and open flowers. Select a photograph to enlarge it.

How to recognize it

Oval basal leaves: blades are generally longer than wide and longer than their leaf stalks. The margins are nearly smooth or finely toothed.
A slender flower stalk: the smooth, unbranched stem has few small bracts rather than a series of large leaves.
Nodding white flowers: five separate, rounded petals surround the stamens.
A long curved style: this projects well beyond the petals.
Short, broad sepals: the green lobes behind each flower are about as wide as long, roughly one-quarter the petal length.

Where and when to look

Look in the leaf litter of shaded deciduous or coniferous woods from June through August in the Upper Midwest. Moist woodland is a good starting point, though Shinleaf also grows in well-drained sandy or loamy forest soils. Its small rosettes are easy to miss among larger woodland plants.

Range & sightings

Native to Canada and parts of the United States, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. It also occurs in the Northeast and scattered western and southern mountain areas.

These field photographs were taken at Cedarburg Bog, Wisconsin, and Ryerson Woods, Illinois.

Reported sightings are not a complete range map. Distribution source: NC State Extension.

Similar species

Round-leaved Pyrola (Pyrola americana) also has white flowers and a curved style. Its leaves are usually rounder, with stalks about as long as the blades. Check the sepals: they are longer than wide and proportionally longer than those of Shinleaf.

Green-flowered Pyrola (P. chlorantha) has greenish flowers and smaller leaves, usually shorter than their stalks. Small Shinleaf (P. minor) has a short, straight style instead of the long curved one.

Use leaf proportions and a side view of the flower together; flower color alone is not enough.

A tiny flower, a striking style

The pale, curved structure projecting from the flower is its style. The stigma at its tip receives pollen, while the nearby anthers release pollen through small pores at their ends.

Compare the style and anthers in this close view. After flowering, the plant develops a dry seed capsule.

Sources & further reading

Native Plant Trust — key to Pyrola species
Native Plant Trust — Shinleaf botanical description
Minnesota Wildflowers — regional identification and bloom season
NC State Extension — pronunciation, habitat, and distribution

Keep learning

Explore more woodland plants or practice your identification skills.

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Shinleaf

Pyrola elliptica
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Shinleaf