Common Name: Virginia Bluebells

Scientific Name: Mertensia virginica

Family: Boraginaceae

Habitat: Floodplains, Woodlands

Native: Yes

Life Cycle: Perennial, Ephemeral

Bloom Time: Spring

Height: Up to 2 feet

Light: Deep shade to partial shade

Soil: Moist, Well drained

Pollinators: Bees, Butterflies, Birds

Description: Virginia Bluebells, named after their pastel periwinkle bell-shaped flowers, are native perennials that bloom in early spring and go dormant in summer. These beauties grow most abundantly in floodplains or deep woodlands along streams and rivers, where they may self-seed and colonize. This photo of Virginia Bluebells was taken in the Woodland Garden.