A native of northeastern deciduous woodlands, large flowered bellwort offers both beautiful foliage and flowers. The light green leaves and the nodding lemon yellow flowers add a bright note to the shade of a woodland or wildflower garden. The flowers are slightly fragrant, have narrow, slightly twisted sepals, and are often hidden by the leaves. The fruit is an interesting small capsule with three corners. Unfortunately deer love the tender leaves and can significantly diminish a population of these delightful plants.
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Bloom: Lemon yellow, nodding flowers one to two inches long are produced in spring.
Foliage: The simple, entire, light green leaves are six inches long by two inches wide and are perfoliate.
Size: 1-2’ H x 1-1.5’ W
Light: Shade to part shade
Soil: Fertile, humusy,
Fertilizer: Mulch with compost or leaf mold.
Hardiness: Zones 2-9
Pests and Diseases: None of signficance
Propagation: Divide clumps in spring or fall; seeds sown as soon as they ripen in late summer.
Companion plants: Woodland phlox (Phlox divaricate), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), Christmas fern (Polustichum acrostichoides), squirrel corn (Dicentra canadensis), Dutchman’s breeches ( Dicentra cucullaria),mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), hepaticas, foamflower (Tiarella spp.), wild gingesr (Asarum spp.) alumroots (Heuchera spp.).
Karen Meyers