Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica) The Virginia bluebell is a deciduous, spring ephemerals that seem to be here one day and gone the next. They grow in woodlands and deep forests and are perfect for your garden. It is a great treat to get to see these blooms before they are gone for the season! Don’t chase them at your local arboretum. Grow your own and you will never miss them again. Plant Details - Virginia Bluebell Family: Borage (Boraginaceae) Light Requirement: Shade Water Needs: Average/Moist Height: 1 - 2 ft. Growth Rate: Fast Bloom Time: Spring Flower Color: Blue Wildlife Value: Attracts bees and butterflies Landscape Uses and Maintenance - Virginia Bluebell With its small, compact size, you can fit the Virginia bluebell anywhere in your garden. Great for the border, rock garden, and mixed with other shade-loving perennials, like Dutchman’s breeches, trillium, or toad lily. This plant enjoys dappled sunlight, so keep it shaded rather than scorching in full sun. With beautiful, sloping flowers, they are a wonderful native addition to your garden. A low maintenance favorite! This is a great plant for all levels of gardeners indeed: from the eager novice to the more experienced. This plant will thrive in rich, well-drained soil, and when once established needs very little care. No fertilization necessary. Get the best bang for your buck -- good news for the frugal gardener! This is a colonizer that will make larger clumps in the garden over time, spreading over an area. Noteworthy Characteristics When the leaves of the Virginia bluebell initially emerge, they are a deep purple that fades into a lush green. They are quickly followed by the growth of gently sloping flower stems that erupt with pastel blooms. These flowers begin as a soft pink, change to purple, and finally bloom into a gorgeous, powdery sky blue. Blue is the rarest color in nature – stun your friends when they visit! Some varieties may include white. As spring ephemerals, they bloom in the springtime and then disappear for the rest of the season. Interplant with Solomon’s seal or ferns to reduce the empty spaces left behind when the leaves die back.