Uvularia grandiflora (Large-flowered Bellwort)

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic 

When planted en masse, graceful, nodding flowers create a lovely visage when they peek from under foliage, which also is attractive, especially to white-tailed deer. Even if deer are not a bother, foliage may disappear as temperatures heat up. Depending on where it grows, this native perennial may act like an ephemeral and enter early dormancy.

Print Version (Legal Size): Uvularia grandiflora (Large-flowered Bellwort)Perennial Height: 11⁄2–2 feet Spread: 1–11⁄2 feet Bloom Color: Yellow Characteristics Clump-forming, herbaceous perennial Lance-shaped, parallel-veined, bright green, perfoliate leaves with fine white hairs underneath Dainty, 1–2-inch-long, nodding, yellow flowers with a somewhat twisted, bell-shape that bloom for about two weeks April to May 3-cell seed capsules with rounded lobes and tip Sometimes forms colonies by rhizomes AttributesTolerates dry soil and drought; no serious pests or diseases though slugs may attack new growthDeer frequently severely damage foliageEthnobotanic uses; rhizome edible when cookedAttracts bees (bumble, mason, Halictid, Andrenid) Growing and Maintenance Tips Soil Requirements: Well-drained, average Light Requirements: Partial Shade, Shade Water Requirements: Moist Easy-to-grow, low maintenance In hot weather may display foliage die-back and dormancy characteristic of ephemerals Use en masse in woodland gardens, shade borders, and naturalized setting It is native in five MD counties (including Montgomery and Prince George’s) and mostly in PA’s southwest corner. In VA it is common in the mountains north to Rockingham County and infrequent in the southwest Piedmont. It is not native to NoVA or DC. Hardiness: USDA Zones 4–9 Excellent Replacement for Alliaria petiolata - Garlic Mustard Ficaria verna - Fig Buttercup Ornithogalum species - Star of Bethlehem

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: Tried and True Plant Fact Sheets.