April 2009 Plant of the Month —
Virginia bluebell

The attractive blue flowers and light green foliage of North
American native Virginia bluebell offers cool color for the spring
woodland garden from early- to mid-spring. Download image

Virginia bluebell, also called Virginia cowslip or Mertensia virginica, is a North American native perennial that can easily be added to your home landscape. It is among the ephemeral spring beauties of the woodland garden, with attractive flowers and light green foliage. Virginia bluebells melt into the landscape with the arrival of summer. The foliage can even die back to the ground until the next season.

The flowers of Virginia bluebell are tubular, or bell shaped, and light blue-violet in color. The flower buds are light pink, and when bloom is initiated, they flush to their mature color. The flowers grow in clusters on the plant and bloom from early- to mid-spring, depending on the weather.

The plant itself grows from 18 to 24 inches in height and roughly 12 to 18 in width. The stems are erect, with the flowers slightly drooping. The foliage of Virginia bluebells is a light green that looks beautiful when planted next to darker foliage, such as that of wild ginger (Asarum splendens), windflower (Anemone blanda) or Glaucidium (Glaucidium palmatum).

When adding Virginia bluebell or any other woodland perennials to your landscape, always plant them with companions that can take over when the early spring plants lose their luster. It's important to have a multi-layered garden to keep year-round interest. Hostas, for instance, will just begin to shine by the time the bluebells are done.

Virginia bluebells can tolerate moist soil conditions but prefer the well-drained soil. They also prefer partial to full shade, but Virginia bluebells sometimes can tolerate more sun. Once plants are established, they don't like to be disturbed. So make sure you are planting them where you want them.

Virginia bluebells are beautiful when planted in large groups or they can be mixed easily with other woodland plants. Barrenwort (Epimedium sp.), lungwort (Pulmonaria sp.), and foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) are just a few plants that would blend well.

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Adapted from an article by Natalia Bjorklund, a former graduate student in the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences. Bjorklund worked under the guidance of Dr. Susan Hamilton, director of the UT Gardens. The UT Gardens are open public gardens that serve the public horticulture teaching and research needs of the UT Institute of Agriculture and the UT AgResearch program. Locations include Knoxville and Jackson.

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Contact:

Susan Hamilton, Department of Plant Sciences,
865-974-7324