Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Click or tap the section titles below to learn more about this species!
CLASSIFICATION: What’s in a name?
Scientific Name: Mertensia virginica. The species name, virginica, is a reference to Virginia! If you pay attention you will notice several other plants which also refer to Virginia in the species name!
Common Name: Virginia bluebells. With blue flowers hanging down in the shape of a bell, this common name is no surprise. But what about Virginia cowslip? Cowslip is a name for a plant that may be associated with cow pastures or other moist slippery locations.1 Another interesting name is lungwort oysterleaf!2
Family: Boraginaceae (Borage family) Plants in this family include species of forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.) and gromwell and puccoon species (Lithospermum spp.) Typically the plant is hairy with smooth-edged leaves arranged alternately on the stem. The flowers are usually at the tip of the stalk which often starts in a coiled shape (like a scorpion’s tail!) and straightens out as the flowers open. The flowers have 5 sepals and 5 petals and may be bell-shaped or tubular. Fruits have 4 seeds.3
IDENTIFICATION: What does it look like?
Average Height: up to 2.5’
Description: This perennial plant often grows in colonies of plants which are erect or slightly drooping. It has round, hairless stems and light green to gray-green oval or egg-shaped leaves. The alternate leaves on the stem are untoothed, hairless, 2-6” long, and 1-3” wide. The uppermost leaves tend to be smaller with little to no petiole (leaf stalk) while petioles of the lower leaves may reach 2½”. The leaves at the base of the plant are even larger. Stems end in a cyme (rounded or flat-topped inflorescence) with pink buds opening to become blue (or sometimes pink or white) flowers. Each nodding, trumpet-shaped flower measures ¾-1” and has 5 petals that form a tube widening to a 5-lobed bell. Each flower has 5 green sepals and 5 white, threadlike stamens. Each fruit contains 4 small, wrinkled nutlets.1,2,3
Bloom time: Mar-May
Notes: The newly emerging leaves are purple and the stem may retain a purplish hue.2,4
LOCATION: Where is it at home?
Range: Found throughout Piedmont and lower elevations in the mountains of VA, but mostly absent from the Coastal Plain.2,5 These plants may be found locally in many locations along the Rivanna River.
Geology/Soil: Rich loamy soils, often in floodplains.2,5
Habitat: Most strongly associated with well-drained floodplain forests, rich moist slope forests and low-elevation cove forests.2,5
CONNECTIONS: What are its relationships to other plants, animals, and humans?
Flora associations: Often found with a wide array of other spring-blooming wildflowers such as yellow trout lily (Erythronium virginanum ssp. virginanum), striped violet (Viola striata), spring beauty (Claytonia virginica var. virginica), and golden ragwort (Packera aurea). Whenever you spot this plant, look around, as there are likely other interesting wildflowers nearby!
Fauna associations: The pollinators of this plant are larger, long-tongued bees such as bumblebees, honey bees, digger bees (Anthophora spp.) and mason bees (Osmia spp.). Smaller bees, along with butterflies, moths, including the hummingbird clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe), and even sometimes the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) may be seen visiting the flowers.2,4
Human associations: TThe Cherokee people use Virginia bluebells to treat whooping cough and tuberculosis while the Haudenosaunee people also use the roots to create an infusion to treat poisoning and a decoction to treat venereal disease.6
We want these plants to thrive and for everyone who gets to visit the park to enjoy them, so remember – don’t pick flowers or other parts of the plant!!
Bibliography & Definitions
1 “Primula Veris – Plant Finder.” www.missouribotanicalgarden.org, www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=285538. Accessed 3 Mar. 2024.
2 Mahr, Susan. “Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia Virginica.” Wisconsin Horticulture, hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/virginia-bluebells-mertensia-virginica/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2024.
3 Weakley, A.S., J.C. Ludwig, and J.F. Townsend. 2012. Flora of Virginia. Bland Crowder, ed. Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project, Inc., Richmond. Fort Worth: Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press, pp. 421 – 428.
4 “Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia Virginica).” Illinoiswildflowers.info, 2019, www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/bluebells.htm. Accessed 4 Mar. 2024.
5 “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora | Mertensia Virginica (L.) Pers. Ex Link.” Vaplantatlas.org, vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=342&search=Search. Accessed 4 Mar. 2024.
6 “BRIT – Native American Ethnobotany Database.” Naeb.brit.org, naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=mertensia+virginica. Accessed 4 Mar. 2024.