Virginia Spiderwort Mertensia virginica
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Virginia Spiderwort:
Previously known as:
- Mertensia pulmonarioides
- Pulmonaria virginica
- Phonetic Spelling
- mer-TEN-see-ah ver-JIN-ih-kah
- Description
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Virginia Bluebells are native herbaceous perennial wildflowers. One of the most beautiful native wildflowers, Virginia bluebells add a touch of class to any garden. They flower when the spring weather is warm and inviting, beckoning gardeners to come outdoors to see their subtle beauty, before going dormant in mid-summer. In early spring, they emerge and grow in compact clumps and are up to 2 feet tall. The foliage is initially purple and turns green very quickly. The leaves are oval, smooth, bluish-green to grayish-green, and 2 to 8 inches long. The pink buds open and reveal delicate, pendulous, slightly fragrant, blue bell-shaped blooms. Flowering occurs, depending on the location, from March to May and lasts about 3 weeks. The closed blooms look like deflated pink balloons. The plants go dormant in mid-summer.
Virginia Bluebells are native to eastern Canada and the central and eastern United States. Naturally, they can be found in nutrient-rich, moist soils of floodplain forests and thickets.
The genus name, Mertensia, is in honor of Franz Carl Mertens who was a professor of botany at Bremen. The specific epithet, virginica, means from Virginia.
These plants grow best in deep to partial shade and moist, well-drained rich humus. They self-seed and colonize. They can be difficult to propagate. It may be best to purchase bare roots, but it is sometimes difficult to find them in trade. Dividing plants in spring, or taking root cuttings in the fall may be attempted.
Virginia Bluebells are stunning when growing in mass plantings around trees, shrubs, or woodland settings. They are a favorite woodland wildflower. In the landscape, they will need to be planted with other shade-loving perennials that will emerge as the Virginia Bluebells go dormant mid-summer.
Seasons of Interest:
Bloom: Spring Foliage: Spring Fruit: Summer and then dormant
Quick ID Hints:
- erect, clumping perennial, growing 1 to 2 feet tall
- soft, smooth, oval, bluish-green, 2 to 8-inch-long leaves
- flower buds are pink
- flowers are terminal clusters of pendulous, 1-inch-long, bell-shaped blooms which appear in the spring
- closed flowers look like deflated pink balloons
- fruits are 4-lobed schizocarps that contain 4 nutlets per flower
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Virginia Bluebells have no serious insect pests or diseases but monitor for the presence of slugs and snails.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy, and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Mertensia
- Species:
- virginica
- Family:
- Boraginaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans used the Virginia Bluebells to treat tuberculosis and whooping cough. The roots were used as an antidote for poisons.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern Canada to North Central and Eastern United States
- Distribution:
- Native: United States: AL, AR, DE, DC, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV, and WI. Canada: Ontario and Quebec.
- Wildlife Value:
- The flowers attract pollinators such as bumblebees, long-tongued bees, butterflies, skippers, moths, and hummingbirds.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Colorful
- Fragrance
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Schizocarp
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- In the early summer, the pollinated flowers produce 4-lobed fruits or schizocarps that contain nutlets. There are 4 nutlets per flower. The nutlets are dark brown, ovoid, flat on one side, and appear wrinkled.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Pink
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Trumpet
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The pink buds open to pendulous, slightly fragrant, blue bell-shaped flowers. They appear in loose clusters or cymes at the ends of the arched stems. Each bloom is a nodding, trumpet, 3/4 to 1-inch long, light blue with five petals that fuse to form the trumpet. There are five white stamens with light brown anthers. The pistil is long, thin, and white. They bloom for about 3 weeks n the spring
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- In the early spring, the foliage emerges deep purple but quickly transitions to green. The leaves are smooth, oval to oblong, bluish-green to grayish-green, and have prominent veins and entire margins. The leaves are alternate in arrangement, 2 to 6 inches long, and 1 to 3 inches wide along the stem. At the base of the stem, the leaves are longer and wider and measure up to 8 inches long and 5 inches wide. The lower leaves have a petiole, while the upper leaves appear sessile. The foliage dies to the ground in mid-summer, and the plant becomes dormant.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- The stems are light green, but they are occasionally tinged with purple at the base of the plant. They are smooth, tapering, succulent, fragile, nearly hollow, and occasionally branched.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Small Space
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Rabbits