Uvularia sessilifolia

Common Names

Sessile Bellwort, Sessile-Leaved Bellwort, Sessile-Leaf Bellwort, Bellwort, Wild Oats, Straw Lily, Merrybells

Summary

Sessile bellwort is a rhizomatous perennial native to eastern and central North America. It grows about 4–12 inches tall in woodlands, forming clonal ground cover via underground rhizomes. Distinctive features include sessile leaves attached directly to the stem and pale yellow to cream, bell-shaped flowers that hang from slender stalks in spring. In cultivation it thrives in cool, moist, shaded positions with humus-rich, well-drained soils and tolerates a range of soil types from acidic to neutral. It spreads by rhizomes to form a groundcover and is suitable for woodland gardens, shade borders, and underplanting of shrubs; propagation is possible by seed or division, though seed germination can be challenging due to dormancy, and division after dormancy is common. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-12 inches

Spread

1-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4a-8b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun or Partial Shade, Full Shade also listed in sources

Soil Type

Moist, humus-rich, well-drained loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil.

Soil pH

Acidic to neutral soil; ideal acidic conditions with tolerance of neutral pH

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Gold, Yellow-Green, White

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow growth, 2–5 years to reach ultimate height

Seasons of Interest

Spring, sometimes Spring and Summer, or Spring and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division (via rhizomes), Cuttings (root cuttings)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees and other pollinators