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Uvularia grandiflora

largeflower bellwort

Colchicaceae Eastern and central North America

Attracts Pollinators

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 4–9

Overview

Uvularia grandiflora is a woodland perennial native to eastern North America, forming colonies on the floor of rich deciduous forests. It grows 12-30 inches (30-75 cm) tall on slender, forking stems that arch and nod at the tips, spreading slowly by short rhizomes. The leaves are oval to lance-shaped, 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) long, light green, and perfoliate, with the stem appearing to pierce the leaf base. In mid to late spring the stem tips carry one or two pendant, bell-shaped yellow flowers 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long, with six twisted, ribbon-like tepals hanging below the foliage. The drooping flowers and twisted petals give the plant its common names bellwort and merrybells. After flowering the stems straighten and lengthen, and three-lobed seed capsules form, ripening in summer. The young shoots emerge with a soft, almost wilted look before expanding. It grows in part to full shade on moist, humus-rich, slightly acidic soil and goes dormant by late summer in dry conditions. Spring drought and full sun cause early dieback and reduce flowering the following year.

Native Range

Native to eastern and central North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Georgia and west to the Great Plains. It grows in rich, moist deciduous woods, wooded slopes, and ravines, usually over limestone or neutral soils.

Suggested Uses

Used in shade and woodland gardens, native plant borders, and naturalized plantings under deciduous trees. It suits the company of ferns, trilliums, and other spring woodland plants in rich, moist soil.

How to Identify

Identified by arching, forking stems with light green perfoliate leaves that the stem appears to pierce. The nodding yellow spring flowers have six twisted, ribbon-like tepals 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long. The pierced leaves and dangling twisted flowers separate it from the smaller bellworts.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 2'6"

Width/Spread1' - 1'6"

Reaches mature size in approximately 4 years

Colors

Flower Colors

yellow

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

yellow

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~3 weeks

Spring

Flowers open from April to May, hanging singly or in pairs at the stem tips. Each bell-shaped yellow bloom is 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long with twisted tepals. Three-lobed capsules follow and ripen through summer before the plant goes dormant.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Light green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-5 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam silt

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

3-4 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in part to full shade on moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. It is hardy in USDA zones 4-9 and spreads slowly into colonies by rhizome, taking several years to fill in. A mulch of leaf litter keeps the roots cool and moist and feeds the soil. Steady spring moisture supports flowering, while drought sends the plant into early dormancy. Division of the rhizomes in late summer or autumn is the usual way to propagate it. It needs no fertilizer where leaf mold is present.

Pruning

No pruning is required. Yellowing foliage can be left to feed the rhizome and removed once it has died down in summer or autumn. The plant disappears by late season and reappears the following spring.