Virginia bluebells are early blooming native spring wildflowers that colonize in the moist woodlands of eastern North America from zones 3-8. Their blossoms last 10 to 14 days. They start off as beautiful pink buds, which open into bell-shaped flowers in shades of sky-blue to purple, on stems 18 to 24 inches tall. The leaves are bright green and oval. Bluebells self-sow into large patches when conditions are right. They prefer fertile, moist and neutral to slightly acidic soil. Plants actually go dormant in midsummer after blooming. A few weeks after blooming small seed capsule/nutlets will form. Foliage will turn yellow—adding an interesting dimension to the early summer garden—and will die back.

Plant transplants or dormant rhizomes in early spring as soon as the ground is workable. Place the rhizome one inch below the top of the soil. You can also sow seeds directly into the garden during the fall or six to eight weeks before the last frost in the spring. Seeds require a period of cold, moist weather (This treatment is called stratification.) in order to germinate.

[via fairfaxgardening.org and americanmeadows.com]

Virginia Bluebells seems to not just be good for bees, but greatly improving their survival. If left to their own devices, Virginia Bluebells can form beautiful colonies. This is more likely to occur if the soil is rich in organic matter, and the area receives partial sun and moist soil.

[via growitbuildit.com]