List of Canadian plants by family L facts for kids

This page is part of a bigger list that helps us explore the amazing plants found in Canada. Plants are grouped into families based on their shared features, just like how your family shares a last name. This section focuses on plant families whose names start with the letter "L". You'll find everything from mints to lilies!

Main page: List of Canadian plants by family

Families: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I J K | L | M | N | O | P Q | R | S | T | U V W | X Y Z

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

The Lamiaceae family is also known as the mint family. Many plants in this group have square stems and leaves that grow opposite each other. They often have a strong, pleasant smell. This family includes herbs like mint, basil, and thyme.

• Agastache foeniculum — blue giant-hyssop
• Agastache nepetoides — yellow giant-hyssop
• Agastache urticifolia — nettleleaf giant-hyssop
• Blephilia ciliata — downy woodmint
• Blephilia hirsuta — hairy woodmint
• Clinopodium arkansanum — low calamint
• Clinopodium douglasii — Douglas' savoury
• Clinopodium vulgare — field basil
• Collinsonia canadensis — Canada horsebalm
• Dracocephalum parviflorum — American dragonhead
• Hedeoma hispida — rough false pennyroyal
• Hedeoma pulegioides — American false pennyroyal
• Lycopus americanus — American bugleweed
• Lycopus asper — rough bugleweed
• Lycopus laurentianus — St. Lawrence water-horehound
• Lycopus rubellus — taperleaf bugleweed
• Lycopus uniflorus — northern bugleweed
• Lycopus virginicus — Virginia bugleweed
• Lycopus x sherardii
• Mentha arvensis — corn mint
• Mentha canadensis — Canadian mint
• Monarda didyma — Oswego-tea
• Monarda fistulosa — wild bergamot beebalm
• Monarda media — purple bergamot
• Monarda punctata — spotted beebalm
• Monardella odoratissima — mountain wildmint
• Physostegia ledinghamii — Ledingham's physostegia
• Physostegia parviflora — purple dragonhead
• Physostegia virginiana — false dragonhead
• Prunella vulgaris — self-heal
• Pycnanthemum incanum — hoary mountainmint
• Pycnanthemum tenuifolium — slender mountainmint
• Pycnanthemum verticillatum — whorled mountainmint
• Scutellaria angustifolia — narrowleaf skullcap
• Scutellaria galericulata — hooded skullcap
• Scutellaria lateriflora — mad-dog skullcap
• Scutellaria nervosa — veined skullcap
• Scutellaria parvula — small skullcap
• Scutellaria x churchilliana — Churchill's skullcap
• Stachys chamissonis — coastal hedge-nettle
• Stachys mexicana — Mexican hedge-nettle
• Stachys palustris — marsh hedge-nettle
• Stachys pilosa — hairy hedge-nettle
• Stachys tenuifolia — smooth hedge-nettle
• Teucrium canadense — American germander
• Trichostema brachiatum — false pennyroyal
• Trichostema dichotomum — forked bluecurls
• Trichostema oblongum — mountain bluecurls

Lauraceae (Laurel Family)

The Lauraceae family includes many trees and shrubs. Some well-known members are cinnamon and avocado. In Canada, you might find the spicebush or sassafras, which are known for their fragrant leaves.

• Lindera benzoin — spicebush
• Sassafras albidum — sassafras

Lejeuneaceae (Liverwort Family)

This family belongs to the liverworts, which are tiny, non-flowering plants. They usually grow in damp, shady places. They are often found on rocks, tree bark, or soil.

• Cololejeunea biddlecomiae
• Cololejeunea macounii
• Lejeunea alaskana
• Lejeunea cavifolia

Lemnaceae (Duckweed Family)

The Lemnaceae family is made up of very small, floating plants called duckweeds. They grow on the surface of still or slow-moving water. They are some of the smallest flowering plants in the world.

• Lemna minor — lesser duckweed
• Lemna trisulca — star duckweed
• Lemna turionifera — turion duckweed
• Spirodela polyrrhiza — common water-flaxseed
• Wolffia arrhiza — spotless water-flaxseed
• Wolffia borealis — dotted watermeal
• Wolffia brasiliensis — pointed watermeal
• Wolffia columbiana — Columbian watermeal

Lentibulariaceae (Bladderwort and Butterwort Family)

This family is famous for its carnivorous plants! They have special ways to trap insects. Butterworts have sticky leaves, and bladderworts have tiny bladders that suck in small water creatures.

• Pinguicula macroceras — California butterwort
• Pinguicula villosa — hairy butterwort
• Pinguicula vulgaris — common butterwort
• Utricularia cornuta — horned bladderwort
• Utricularia geminiscapa — hidden-fruit bladderwort
• Utricularia gibba — humped bladderwort
• Utricularia intermedia — flatleaf bladderwort
• Utricularia macrorhiza — greater bladderwort
• Utricularia minor — lesser bladderwort
• Utricularia ochroleuca — northern bladderwort
• Utricularia purpurea — purple bladderwort
• Utricularia radiata — small swollen bladderwort
• Utricularia resupinata — northeastern bladderwort
• Utricularia subulata — zigzag bladderwort

Lepidoziaceae (Leafy Liverwort Family)

Another family of liverworts, these plants are also small and usually grow in moist environments. They are known for their leafy stems, which look a bit like tiny mosses.

• Bazzania ambigua
• Bazzania denudata — bazzania lichen
• Bazzania pearsonii
• Bazzania tricrenata
• Bazzania trilobata — three-lobed bazzania
• Kurzia pauciflora
• Kurzia setacea
• Kurzia sylvatica
• Lepidozia filamentosa
• Lepidozia reptans
• Lepidozia sandvicensis

Leptodontaceae (Moss Family)

This is a family of mosses. Mosses are small, soft plants that often grow in dense green clumps or mats. They don't have true roots, stems, or leaves like bigger plants.

• Forsstroemia trichomitria

Leskeaceae (Moss Family)

Another family of mosses, these plants are often found growing on tree bark or rocks. They are important for their role in ecosystems, helping to hold soil and moisture.

• Bryohaplocladium microphyllum
• Bryohaplocladium virginianum
• Claopodium bolanderi
• Claopodium crispifolium
• Claopodium pellucinerve
• Claopodium whippleanum
• Lescuraea saxicola
• Leskea gracilescens
• Leskea obscura
• Leskea polycarpa
• Leskeella nervosa
• Lindbergia brachyptera — Lindberg's maple-moss
• Pseudoleskea atricha
• Pseudoleskea baileyi
• Pseudoleskea incurvata
• Pseudoleskea julacea
• Pseudoleskea patens
• Pseudoleskea radicosa
• Pseudoleskea stenophylla
• Pseudoleskeella sibirica
• Pseudoleskeella tectorum

Leucobryaceae (White Moss Family)

This family includes mosses that often have a whitish or pale green color. A common example is the pincushion moss, which forms soft, rounded clumps.

• Leucobryum glaucum — pincushion moss

Leucodontaceae (Moss Family)

These are also mosses, often found growing on trees or rocks. They can form beautiful hanging mats or tufts.

• Alsia californica
• Antitrichia californica
• Antitrichia curtipendula
• Dendroalsia abietina
• Leucodon brachypus
• Leucodon julaceus

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

The Liliaceae family is known for its beautiful flowering plants. Many have showy flowers with six petals and are often grown in gardens. This family includes true lilies, tulips, and onions.

• Aletris farinosa — white-tubed colicroot
• Allium acuminatum — tapertip onion
• Allium amplectens — paper onion
• Allium burdickii — narrowleaf wild leek
• Allium canadense — meadow onion
• Allium cernuum — nodding onion
• Allium crenulatum — Olympic onion
• Allium geyeri — Geyer's onion
• Allium schoenoprasum — wild chives
• Allium stellatum — glade onion
• Allium textile — white wild onion
• Allium tricoccum — small white leek
• Allium validum — tall swamp onion
• Brodiaea coronaria — harvest firecracker-flower
• Calochortus apiculatus — Baker's mariposa lily
• Calochortus lyallii — Lyall's mariposa lily
• Calochortus macrocarpus — greenband mariposa lily
• Camassia leichtlinii — Leichtlin's camassia
• Camassia quamash — common camassia
• Camassia scilloides — wild hyacinth
• Chamaelirium luteum — Devil's-bit
• Clintonia borealis — blue bead-lily
• Clintonia uniflora — single-flowered clintonia
• Erythronium albidum — white trout-lily
• Erythronium americanum — yellow trout-lily
• Erythronium grandiflorum — largeflower yellow fawnlily
• Erythronium montanum — glacier fawnlily
• Erythronium oregonum — giant fawnlily
• Erythronium revolutum — pink fawnlily
• Fritillaria affinis — Ojai fritillary
• Fritillaria camschatcensis — Indian rice
• Fritillaria pudica — yellow mission-bells
• Gagea serotina (syn. Lloydia serotina) — common alpine-lily
• Hypoxis hirsuta — eastern yellow stargrass
• Lilium canadense — Canada lily
• Lilium columbianum — Columbian lily
• Lilium michiganense — Michigan lily
• Lilium philadelphicum — wood lily
• Lophiola aurea — golden crest
• Maianthemum canadense — wild lily-of-the-valley
• Maianthemum dilatatum — false lily-of-the-valley
• Maianthemum racemosum — Solomon's-plume
• Maianthemum stellatum — starflowered Solomon's-plume
• Maianthemum trifolium — three-leaf Solomon's-plume
• Medeola virginiana — Indian cucumber-root
• Nothoscordum bivalve — crow-poison
• Polygonatum biflorum — common Solomon's-seal
• Polygonatum pubescens — downy Solomon's-seal
• Prosartes hookeri — Hooker's mandarin
• Prosartes lanuginosa — yellow mandarin
• Prosartes smithii — Smith's fairy-bells
• Prosartes trachycarpa — rough-fruited mandarin
• Stenanthium occidentale — western featherbells
• Streptopus amplexifolius — clasping twisted-stalk
• Streptopus lanceolatus — rosy twisted-stalk
• Streptopus streptopoides — small twisted-stalk
• Streptopus x oreopolus — hybrid twisted-stalk
• Tofieldia coccinea — northern false-asphodel
• Tofieldia pusilla — Scotch false-asphodel
• Triantha glutinosa — sticky bog-asphodel
• Triantha occidentalis — western false-asphodel
• Trillium cernuum — nodding trillium
• Trillium erectum — ill-scent trillium
• Trillium flexipes — nodding trillium
• Trillium grandiflorum — white trillium
• Trillium ovatum — western trillium
• Trillium undulatum — painted trillium
• Triteleia grandiflora — largeflower triteleia
• Triteleia hyacinthina — white triteleia
• Uvularia grandiflora — largeflower bellwort
• Uvularia perfoliata — perfoliate bellwort
• Uvularia sessilifolia — sessile-leaf bellwort
• Veratrum viride — American false hellebore
• Xerophyllum tenax — western turkeybeard
• Zigadenus elegans — white camas
• Zigadenus venenosus — meadow deathcamas

Limnanthaceae (Meadowfoam Family)

The Limnanthaceae family includes plants often called meadowfoams. These small, delicate plants typically grow in wet, open areas.

• Floerkea proserpinacoides — false mermaidweed
• Limnanthes macounii — Macoun's meadowfoam

Linaceae (Flax Family)

The Linaceae family is best known for flax plants. Flax is used to make linen fabric and linseed oil. Many plants in this family have slender stems and pretty flowers.

• Linum australe — southern flax
• Linum compactum — Wyoming flax
• Linum lewisii — prairie flax
• Linum medium — stiff yellow flax
• Linum rigidum — stiff-stem flax
• Linum striatum — ridged yellow flax
• Linum sulcatum — grooved yellow flax
• Linum virginianum — Virginia flax

Loasaceae (Blazingstar Family)

Plants in the Loasaceae family are often called blazingstars or stickleafs. They are known for their showy flowers and sometimes have sticky hairs on their stems and leaves.

• Mentzelia albicaulis — whitestem stickleaf
• Mentzelia decapetala — ten-petal stickleaf
• Mentzelia dispersa — Mada stickleaf
• Mentzelia laevicaulis — giant blazingstar
• Mentzelia veatchiana — Veatch's blazingstar

Lophocoleaceae (Liverwort Family)

This is another family of liverworts, small non-flowering plants that thrive in moist, shaded environments. They contribute to the biodiversity of damp habitats.

• Chiloscyphus pallescens
• Chiloscyphus polyanthos
• Lophocolea bidentata
• Lophocolea heterophylla
• Lophocolea minor

Lycopodiaceae (Clubmoss Family)

The Lycopodiaceae family includes clubmosses, which are ancient plants related to ferns. They are not true mosses but have small, scale-like leaves and reproduce using spores.

• Diphasiastrum alpinum — alpine clubmoss
• Diphasiastrum complanatum — trailing clubmoss
• Diphasiastrum digitatum — fan clubmoss
• Diphasiastrum sabinifolium — ground-fir
• Diphasiastrum sitchense — Alaskan clubmoss
• Diphasiastrum tristachyum — deeproot clubmoss
• Diphasiastrum x habereri
• Diphasiastrum x zeilleri
• Huperzia appressa — Appalachian fir-clubmoss
• Huperzia chinensis — Chinese clubmoss
• Huperzia haleakalae — Haleakalā fir-clubmoss
• Huperzia lucidula — shining clubmoss
• Huperzia occidentalis — western shining clubmoss
• Huperzia porophila — rock clubmoss
• Huperzia selago — fir clubmoss
• Huperzia x buttersii — Butters' clubmoss
• Lycopodiella appressa — southern bog clubmoss
• Lycopodiella inundata — bog clubmoss
• Lycopodium annotinum — stiff clubmoss
• Lycopodium clavatum — running-pine
• Lycopodium dendroideum — treelike clubmoss
• Lycopodium hickeyi — Hickey's clubmoss
• Lycopodium lagopus — one-cone ground-pine
• Lycopodium obscurum — tree clubmoss

Lythraceae (Loosestrife Family)

The Lythraceae family includes plants like loosestrifes. Many of these plants grow in wet or damp areas, such as marshes and along the edges of ponds.

• Ammannia robusta — grand redstem
• Decodon verticillatus — hairy swamp loosestrife
• Lythrum alatum — winged loosestrife
• Rotala ramosior — toothcup