Large-flowered bellwort
Uvularia grandiflora · Colchicaceae
Nodding, lemon-yellow bells with twisted petals hang from arching stems in spring, as the leaves are still unfolding. The whole plant has a graceful, drooping habit.
- Size
- 20 in tall, 16 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Late April to mid May
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around large-flowered bellwort
The planner designed this bed around large-flowered bellwort when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) naturalistic planting in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why large-flowered bellwort stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Large-flowered bellwort × 5, yellow
- 2 London pride × 11, pink
- 3 Leadwort × 14, blue
- 4 Log fern × 3, dark green leaves
- 5 Gray's sedge × 4, green
- 6 Korean feather reed grass × 1, pink
- 7 Grecian windflower × 5, white
- 8 Double snowdrop × 12, white
Why this plant
- The only yellow. The one hot colour: every other flower here is cool or neutral.
Why here
- In the middle. At 20 in it is the step between leadwort (10 in) in front and Gray's sedge (2½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 5 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- In flower for four weeks. From late April to mid May.
- Fills a gap. For two of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as a naturalistic planting: low grasses and groundcovers, the matrix, make up 66% of the planted ground. The scheme leans cool (pink and blue) and uses yellow for warmth, with green and white to calm things between them. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 49% of the visual weight and the right half 51%.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where large-flowered bellwort goes in a border
At 20 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The drooping stems look as if they need water, which is part of its charm. After flowering it straightens into a neat clump of clean foliage that lasts all summer.
- Native woodland gardens
- Spring colour under trees
- With trilliums and ferns
What to plant with large-flowered bellwort
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- White trillium: in flower together for four weeks, from late April; happy in the same moist soil.
- Christmas fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after.
- Wild ginger: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; bold leaves against its medium ones; low enough (6 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about large-flowered bellwort
Does large-flowered bellwort need sun or shade?
Large-flowered bellwort grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does large-flowered bellwort grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does large-flowered bellwort flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late April to mid May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 4 | Early May to late May |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Late April to mid May |
| Zone 6 | Mid April to early May |
| Zone 7 | Mid April to early May |
| Zone 8 | Early April to late April |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should large-flowered bellwort be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 16 in (40 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 20 in (50 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many large-flowered bellwort plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used five in one group.
Is large-flowered bellwort poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat large-flowered bellwort?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
What flowers after large-flowered bellwort?
Large-flowered bellwort is over by mid May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
- Sweet woodruff: from early May to early June, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Columbine: from early May to mid June, 24 in tall.
What does large-flowered bellwort look like in winter?
Large-flowered bellwort dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
Is large-flowered bellwort good for bees and butterflies?
Large-flowered bellwort is visited by pollinators and specialist bees.
It is native to the United States and Canada.
In these guides
- Plants for deep shade
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Native perennials for pollinators
- Native plants for shade
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants for bees
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 20 in (50 cm) tall, 16 in (40 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Late April to mid May; hanging bells; yellow
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Colchicaceae
- Comes from
- Eastern and central North America
- Attracts
- Pollinators, specialist bees
- Stands up to
- Deep shade
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.