Perfoliate Bellwort
Uvularia perfoliata
Pale yellow lantern-like blooms in April on stems that pierce right through the leaves. A delicate colony-former for moist, humus-rich shade.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The perforated leaf and pendant spring flowers are unlike anything else in the shade garden. a conversation piece that also naturalizes beautifully.
Perfoliate Bellwort is one of spring's quieter woodland charms: the stem appears to grow straight through each leaf, giving the foliage a perforated, pierced look that makes it immediately recognizable on the forest floor. The pale yellow pendant flowers appear in April, hanging like small, twisted lanterns below the arching stems. It's smaller and more delicate than Large-flowered Bellwort, topping out at about a foot and a half in good conditions, and spreading slowly by rhizome to form intimate colonies in the right shade garden. Plant Perfoliate Bellwort beneath deciduous trees where the soil stays moist and humus-rich, under oaks, maples, or tulip poplars. It's at home among other spring ephemerals: trout lily, spring beauty, trillium. The foliage persists through summer, staying green and tidy until frost. Like most woodland natives, it rewards patience over the first few seasons as it establishes its root system, then spreads reliably outward from there.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown perfoliate bellwort propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 8"–1.5' · 8–12 in wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Colchicaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Nova Scotia south to Florida; moist to dry-mesic deciduous forests
Care notes for perfoliate bellwort.
Part to full shade, moist to average humus-rich soil. Mulch annually with shredded leaves. Avoid dry, sunny sites. Once established, largely self-sufficient. Slow to establish but long-lived and reliable once settled. Divide in early fall to propagate or thin dense colonies. No serious pest or disease issues.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside perfoliate bellwort.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.