Virginia Bluebells

Mertensia virginica

Pink buds opening to drifts of sky-blue bells, then vanishing underground by summer.

the Northeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Southeastthe Midwest

Growing Virginia Bluebells

A true spring ephemeral — it goes dormant after blooming, so interplant with ferns or sedges to fill the gap. Naturalizes into breathtaking colonies in moist woods. It’s deer-resistant, and showy.

Where it grows

Virginia Bluebells is native to the Northeast. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arkansas · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky and 24 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.

Regional Garden shows Virginia Bluebells on 34 state pages.

Good for

Pollinators For bees Hummingbirds Deer-resistant For shade Rain garden

Sourcing

Where to buy Virginia Bluebells

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.

Plant it with

Companions & kin.

Natives that share Virginia Bluebells’s range and conditions.

Perennial wildflower

Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

Airy white bells in early summer, a bridge bloom between spring ephemerals and the summer prairie.

Full–part sun
Dry–average
2–4 ft
Blooms May–Jun

Perennial wildflower

Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Nodding red-and-gold lanterns that greet the first spring hummingbirds at a woodland edge.

Part shade
Dry–average
1–2.5 ft
Blooms Apr–Jun

Shrub

New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus americanus

A compact, drought-proof shrub frothing with white flowers that pollinators and hummingbirds adore.

Full–part sun
Dry
2–3.5 ft
Blooms May–Jul

Perennial wildflower

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Ragged lavender crowns that hum with bees, hummingbirds, and clearwing moths; foliage smells of oregano.

Full–part sun
Dry–average
2–4 ft
Blooms Jun–Aug