Plants 2-5 dm; rhizomes thin, spreading. Cauline leaves 2-4; blade dark glossy green adaxially, oblong to elliptic obovate, 15-30 × 5-10 cm. Inflorescences in short, terminal racemes, 3-8(-10)-flowered; bracts 1(-3), narrowly foliaceous. Flowers nodding; tepals yellow to yellowish green, narrowly oblong, 12-16 × 3.5-4.5 mm; filaments 12-17.5 mm; anthers oblong, 2-3.5 mm. Berries ultramarine blue, ovoid, 8-16-seeded, 8-12 mm. Seeds 3-5 mm. 2n = 28, 32. Flowering early May--early Jul. Rich coniferous, mixed, or deciduous woods; 0--1600 m; St. Pierre and Miquélon; Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que.; Conn., Ga., Ill., Ind., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis. Throughout the range of Clintonia borealis a stabilized, 2n = 32 cytotype has been reported (F. H. Utech and L. B. Thien 1973; B. M. Kapoor 1973).