Variegated fairy bells
Disporum sessile 'Variegatum' · Colchicaceae
Upright, branching stems of pointed leaves striped in white and green, with creamy, green-tipped bells hanging beneath them in spring.
- Size
- 20 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers early May to late May
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around variegated fairy bells
The planner designed this bed around variegated fairy bells when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why variegated fairy bells stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Variegated fairy bells × 3, variegated leaves
- 2 Blue star creeper × 20, blue
- 3 Polyanthus primrose × 8, yellow
- 4 Northern sea oats × 5, tan
- 5 Foxglove × 3, purple
- 6 Mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' × 1, pink
- 7 Snowdrop × 12, white
- 8 Winter cyclamen × 5, pink
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- In the middle. At 20 in it is the step between polyanthus primrose (8 in) in front and mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' (2½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 10 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 6 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The back corners are held by foxglove and northern sea oats, the tallest plants on the plan. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 53% of the visual weight and the right half 47%.
The planner's own design check: 14 Excellent, 2 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Foxglove is highly poisonous to people, dogs, cats and horses. Northern sea oats spreads aggressively.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where variegated fairy bells 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.
It looks like a small, neat, variegated Solomon's seal, and spreads into a bright patch in woodland soil. The white stripes light up deep shade.
- Variegated foliage for shade
- Woodland groundcover
- Planting with hostas and ferns
What to plant with variegated fairy bells
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta 'Halcyon': bold leaves against its medium ones; happy in the same moist soil.
- Autumn fern: happy in the same moist soil.
- Wild ginger: bold leaves against its medium ones; low enough (6 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about variegated fairy bells
Does variegated fairy bells need sun or shade?
Variegated fairy bells 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 wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does variegated fairy bells 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.
How far apart should variegated fairy bells be planted?
16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 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 variegated fairy bells plants do I need?
At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 21 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 three in one group.
Is there a native plant like variegated fairy bells?
Variegated fairy bells is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Indian pink: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early June to early July.
- Bottle gentian: the same job in a bed; 4 in narrower, flowers late August to early October.
- Virginia bluebells: the same job in a bed; 4 in narrower, flowers mid April to early May.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Will variegated fairy bells spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground stems into a loose colony. Easy to lift where it is not wanted.
What does variegated fairy bells look like in winter?
Variegated fairy bells 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.
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 20 in (50 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Early May to late May; hanging bells; white, green
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; variegated
- Shape
- Upright, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Colchicaceae
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. 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.