Virginia bluebells.

De un vistazo

Nivel de cuidados

Fácil

Tipo de planta

Perennial

Luz

Partial shade to full shade

Luz en interior

Luz indirecta brillante

Riego

Cada 3 a 7 días

Tamaño adulto

1 to 2 feet

Ritmo de crecimiento

Medio

Rusticidad

USDA 3 a 8

Floración

Early to mid spring

Cuidados

Plant these in a spot with rich, moist soil that stays cool throughout the spring. Keep an eye out for slugs or snails that might snack on the tender new leaves. Since they go dormant, mark where you planted them so you don't accidentally dig them up later.

Riego

Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged during the active growing season.

Abonado

Apply a light layer of compost or organic mulch in the fall to provide nutrients for the coming spring.

Poda

Simply remove the yellowed, dying foliage once the plant goes dormant in late spring or early summer.

Trasplante

These prefer to stay in the ground, but you can divide clumps every few years if they become too crowded.

Suelo

Rich, moist, well draining soil

pH del suelo

6.0 to 7.0

Temperatura

-30 a 30°C

Humedad

40 a 70%

Tolerancia a la sequía

Baja

Longevidad

Perennial, typically long lived if left undisturbed.

Resistencia a ciervos y conejos

Alta

Seguridad

Personas

This plant is generally considered non-toxic but should not be ingested.

Niños

The plant is not considered a specific risk to children, though standard caution against eating garden plants applies.

Alérgenos por contacto

There are no known significant skin irritants associated with this plant.

Alérgenos en el aire

There is no evidence that this plant causes respiratory allergies.

Comestibilidad

While some sources mention historical use, it is best to avoid consuming this plant due to potential alkaloid content.

Cómo identificarla

• Nodding clusters of blue bell shaped flowers
• Smooth blue green oval leaves
• Pink buds before opening
• Foliage goes dormant in summer

Altura

0,3 a 0,6m

Anchura

0,3 a 0,45m

Hojas

blue-green, deciduous

Flores

blue, pink, 1 a 2cm

Frutos

brown, Late spring

Problemas frecuentes

• Slugs — These mollusks can chew holes in the foliage during wet spring weather.

Cómo cultivarla

Propagación

division, seed

Cuándo plantar

fall, early spring

Cuidados en invierno

No special care is needed as the plant is fully dormant underground during winter.

En maceta

It is not well suited for containers because it requires specific woodland soil conditions and goes dormant.

Pair with late emerging perennials to hide the empty space left when the bluebells go dormant.

Buenas compañeras

• White Trillium — They share similar woodland habitat requirements.
• Christmas fern — Ferns fill the space left behind when the bluebells go dormant.

Especies parecidas

• Lungwort — It shares similar blue flowers and woodland preferences.

Ciencia

Familia

Boraginaceae

Género

Mertensia

Orden

Boraginales

Clase

Magnoliopsida

Distribución natural

Eastern and central North America.

Conservación

It is not currently listed as endangered, but it should never be collected from the wild.

It survives by completing its entire life cycle before the forest canopy fully leafs out.

Valor para la fauna

early season nectar source

Polinizadores

abejas, mariposas, colibríes

Usos

woodland gardens, pollinator borders, spring ephemeral displays

Taxonomía cotejada con GBIF.

Lo que más preguntan

Why did my plant disappear?

It is a spring ephemeral and naturally goes dormant after blooming.

Can I grow it in full sun?

It prefers shade and will likely struggle or go dormant early in full sun.

De dónde viene el nombre

The genus honors German botanist Franz Carl Mertens, while the species name indicates its origin in Virginia.

Bueno saberlo

• It is commonly known as Virginia bluebells.
• The foliage disappears entirely by early summer.
• It thrives in the dappled light of deciduous forests.
• The plant is a classic spring ephemeral.

También en

• Plantas para sombra
• Plantas que los ciervos no comen