Streptopus lanceolatus aka Twistedstalk

Streptopus lanceolatus belongs to the lily family, Liliaceae. It is a perennial, which means it lives for years. Plants For A Future uses another name for it: Streptopus roseus. Both names refer to the same plant. Its common names include rosybells, rose mandarin, and scootberry. It is native from Alaska into the northwestern United States. Its range also spans central and eastern Canada. It reaches south to North Carolina. It grows in moist woods, on river banks, and in alder thickets. These sites lie in regions with a temperate climate.

This plant grows about 1.6 feet (0.5 metres) tall. It spreads about 1 foot (0.3 metres) wide. It forms a clump, with little spread above ground. Below ground, stems called rhizomes grow roots and new shoots. These grow along the length of each stem. The stems help the plant grow year after year. The sources give few facts about full-grown leaves or stems. They do list young leaves and shoots as food.

Flowers bloom from May to July. Each has both male and female organs. Seeds ripen from September to October. The fruit is about half an inch (12 millimetres) across. People eat it raw or cooked. Reports call its taste sweet, at times like watermelon. Young leaves and shoots taste like cucumber. People add them to salads or cook them as greens. Large amounts of fruit can have a laxative effect. This means they can make you pass stools more often. This warning also applies when people first try the fruit.

In gardens, it needs cool soil with plenty of leaf matter. It grows in sandy or loamy soil rich in organic matter. Keep the soil moist, in shade or part shade. It copes with mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil. The source lists USDA zones 3–7. It also lists hardiness to at least −20°C. Its small size suits woodland gardens and shaded edges. Its clumps fit among plants of varied heights in woodland gardens. The source lists it for food-forest gardens too.

Growing it from seed can take time, most of all with stored seed. Seeds may take 18 months or longer to sprout. Young plants may need two growing seasons before planting out. You can also split plants as growth starts in early spring. Past uses include root-based remedies for coughs and eye problems. Records also describe using flowers to make people sweat. These past uses do not prove that treatment is safe. The evidence names no specific pests or diseases that harm it.