Herbs in the Landscape
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Gently nodding bells of sky-blue flowers on the ends of arched green stems growing in clusters announce early spring. The flowers begin as pink buds and open into a stunning blue. Occasionally the flowers will remain pink, and rarely the flowers will be white. This herb is a member of the borage family, and it is native to the eastern United States, including much of Missouri. It is a highly regarded plant for the landscape. It is a 2018 Plant of Merit and has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Virginia bluebells prefer part to full shade in moist, though well-drained, rich soil. They are perennial in U.S.D.A. zones 3 to 8. They grow to about 2 feet in height and 1.5 feet wide. Their trumpet-shaped flowers are about one-inch long. They flower for about three weeks from March to April in the St. Louis area. Their leaves are smooth and bluish green. The lower leaves are about 5 inches long and taper into the stem while the upper leaves are smaller. Each fertilized flower produces four seeds inside wrinkled nuts.
They tolerate rabbit, deer, and black walnut. This herb has no serious insect or disease problems. It will naturalize in the garden, making it very easy to maintain. It is a long-lived perennial that will spread by seed and rhizomes. If desired, deadheading the flowers will reduce the spread by seed.
Virginia bluebells are spectacular when they grow undisturbed in masses under trees or in native plant gardens. It is a lovely spring ephemeral, and there will be no trace of it by summer when it goes dormant until next spring. Consider overplanting the area with later-blooming perennials that will fill this gap in the garden such as ferns, Solomon’s Seal, pink lamium, and astilbe. Their blue blooms also beautifully complement yellow daffodils.
The leaves and flowers are edible, and they are delicious when added to a stir-fry or sauteed in oil with lemon. As one of the earliest blooming wildflowers, it is an important early nectar source for bees, butterflies, skippers, hummingbird moths, and hummingbirds. To sustain Virginia bluebells in the wild, this herb should be purchased from ethical native plant nurseries.
