Virginia Bluebells

Mertensia virginica

Family Boraginaceae

Brief Description: One to two feet in height; glabrous. Leaves are elliptic to obovate, 2-6 inches wide. Corolla tube is blue and longer than the limb, 0.75-1 inch. Bell-shaped flowers are hanging and arranged in cymes; in bud stage and after pollination the flowers are pink.

Blooms in April and May.

Geographic Range: From New York to Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and east Kansas, south to Alabama and Missouri.

Habitat: Rich moist or wet woods with light shade.

Propagation: Take the nutlets, when brown, from the stem. Seal in a container and store in a refrigerator if necessary. For best results, sow immediately in a shaded outdoor bed, and keep the bed evenly moist; look for seedlings the following spring.

Garden Use: ,A classic spring ephemeral, this is a dependable flower for a native plant garden. Mix it with longer lived species such as ferns, Bleeding Heart, and Wild Ginger, and establish Virginia Bluebells in shaded areas of the garden. This plant also works well in an herbaceous border. Plants stay in bloom for up to three weeks or more.