Flowers have five petals fused into a tube, five stamens, and a central pistil (carpel). Virginia bluebells grow from one to two feet in height. One of the most beautiful species of spring ephemerals are Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica). The combination of pink and blue flower clusters on a deep green plant make this … Native to North America, bluebells are charming woodland plants that thrive in partial to full shade. Then, you can either plant them directly (knowing that germination will not happen until the following year). It is best to plant these perennials in Fall or late Winter before they begin to bloom for the Early-Spring season. Virginia Bluebells will spread by seed. I wrapped the taproot in a sopping-wet paper towel, and then transplanted it to it’s new location within an hour or so. Plants are hardy to hardiness zone 3: −40 °C (−40 °F). Virginia Bluebells would only be considered invasive outside of their native range, which is generally anything West of the Missouri River. I've been growing plants from seed and designing native plant gardens for over six years. The stamens and stigma are spaced too far apart for self-fertilization. Virginia Bluebell seed should be planted just below the surface of the soil. Virginia bluebells Interesting Notes. Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica . window.mc4wp.listeners.push( Virginia bluebells was first collected in Virginia by Peter Kalm, a student of Linnaeus, and initially described by Linnaeus as a species of Pulmonaria, a related European genus.More than 40 years later, a German botanist, Albrecht Roth, realized that this species was different enough to warrant being placed in a new genus; he named it Mertensia in honor of another German botanist, F. C. Mertens. Virginia Bluebells will go dormant in the summer. forms: { Plant Virginia Bluebells in moist, rich loamy soil with partial sun for the best growing results. So, it is best to locate a colony of these plants, and go gather seed in June when the plant is starting to go dormant. With a total stalk height of 2 feet, Virginia bluebells will usually begin turning blue shortly after they have finished blooming. If you don’t get the whole tap-root, or enough of it, the plant will often die. Their native habitat is moist woodland … Or, you can refrigerate the seed until Fall/Winter in a zip-lock bag, and direct sow then or winter-sow them. window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { Bede from Minnesota on May 07, 2018: Thanks Linda for another interesting article. So, if you don’t want extra plants, you will have to pull unwanted seedlings. Margins of the leaf are also smooth, with no serration. Many internet sources and people over-complicate the art of making compost. White forms of the flower are highly prized because the… This native plant is trouble free if planted in it’s preferred conditions. *This species may be difficult and/or … A sure sign of spring’s impending arrival is the masses of bright blue flowers of Virginia bluebells borne above its fresh green foliage. They are petiolate at the bottom of the flower stem and sessile at the top. The flower can be pollinated by bumblebees but, due to its funnel shape bumblebees must hover, making the bumblebee a rare pollinator[citation needed]. Growing Virginia Bluebells – What Are Virginia Bluebell Flowers. Flower buds are pink and turn lavender-blue as they age. The Cherokee used the plant to treat whooping cough and tuberculosis. You know, the black plastic trays that plants come in? Virginia Bluebells . event : evt, Mertensia virginica is one of about 40 species in this genus of herbaceous perennials with blue, bell-shaped flowers. If you plant Virginia Bluebells in its preferred growing conditions, it will not require any special care. (We may earn a small commission when you purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Hardy from zones 3-8, check your USDA zone, Native from Arkansas/Kansas, then North to Ontario Canada. The package that you buy at the store may well be labeled Scilla campanulata -- yet another botanical name for the plant. Mertensia virginica is commonly known as Virginia bluebell, Virginia cowslip, lungwort oysterleaf or Roanoke bells. Welcome to Gurney's! Mertensia virginica (L.) Pers. So it was not actively growing. Virginia bluebells have rounded and gray-green leaves, borne on stems up to 24 in (60 cm) tall. I amended the soil with compost as I transplanted it. When it comes to growing Virginia bluebells, they are a lot easier than you may think. It is is a species of flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family, and it is native to moist woodlands in (eastern) North America.. More Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants. It is one of the earliest plants to bloom in the Spring, giving you a lush pink-purple-blue carpet that is packed with pollinators. Get our new content sent to your inbox. Bluebells were voted England’s favorite. The following Spring, the two plants I transplanted came right up. })(); Mertensia virginica (common names Virginia bluebells,[1] Virginia cowslip, lungwort oysterleaf, Roanoke bells) is a spring ephemeral plant with bell-shaped sky-blue flowers, native to eastern North America. I hope to give you some tips and useful information! The oval leaves are smooth and are green with a purplish-blue tinge. Though Virginia Bluebells do grow profusely in some areas of Virginia it is actually a common plant of the Midwest, not the East. So, the leaves will turn yellow and fall over, making it’s own mulch layer (so to speak). The plant increases in size each year with almost no care. In early summer, each fertilized flower produces four seeds within wrinkled nuts, and the plant goes dormant till the next spring. According to the ASPCA, Virginia Bluebells are non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses. You most often find large colonies of this plant in open woodland with dappled sunlight. Leaves are green and oval-shaped, growing up to four inches in length. Native from Arkansas/Kansas, then North to Ontario Canada. That is where you typically find it in the wild, and it is always best to take a cue from nature as to how best to cultivate a plant. They were healthy, happy plants. So, they can form dense colonies over time. Blooming starts in early to mid spring with the formation of pink buds that later mature into lavender-blue flowers. Many other plants are commonly known as bluebells, including the unrelated Virginia bluebell. Additionally I am a wood worker / DIY enthusiast. [2][3], Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) in Ohio, Typical blue-flowered form at the botanical gardens in Berlin, Germany, Mertensia virginica is the type species for the genus Mertensia and was first described by Linnaeus in 1753 as Pulmonaria virginica. "Nomenclature of the Virginia-bluebell, Wildflower.org: Native Plant Identification Network, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mertensia_virginica&oldid=966115268, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2019, Taxonbars with automatically added basionyms, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 5 July 2020, at 05:13. About Virginia Bluebells Flowers. Hardy from zones 3-8, check your USDA zone here. Loads of two-toned bell-shaped flowers hang down from the stems in large clusters. James S. Pringle. Formerly strictly a wildflower, today it flourishes in Zones 3 through 9 as a popular garden addition. The decades of leaf-litter decay provide substantial organic matter, which creates a loamy soil that is perfect for this plant. They are borne in mid-spring in nodding spiral-shaped cymes at the end of arched stems. ex Link – Virginia bluebells Subordinate Taxa. } I hope to share some of my knowledge with you! listeners: [], Roth's name is a superfluous synonym and has been used in recent literature.[5]. The blooms are shaped like bells (hence the common name). Then, I dug up the plant, getting as much of the tap-root as I could. on: function(evt, cb) { These lovely plants are in the family Boraginaceae, which makes them relatives of other familiar species like Forget-me-not, Lungwort, and Comfrey. Mertensia virginica (common names Virginia bluebells, Virginia cowslip, lungwort oysterleaf, Roanoke bells) is a spring ephemeral plant with bell-shaped sky-blue flowers, native to eastern North America. 18-24" tall x 18-24" wide, this beautiful member of the Borage family is a wild gardeners dream. The blossoms put forth a very showy display of pink, blue, and purple-colored flowers all at various stages in growth. 2004. In a 2015 Spring poll by botanical charity Plantlife, bluebells … Buds are small and pink. This is one of our Top 3 Early Spring Perennials you should grow. Sometimes there will be some branching on the stalk. Primary Facts. This helps support our website.). It is a native plant, so has evolved to thrive without special treatment or extra fertilizer. Virginia bluebells is a native woodland wildflower. Both the English bluebell and the Spanish bluebell are cultivated as ornamentals for their attractive clusters of blue bell-shaped flowers. 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