Mertensia virginica, Virginia Bluebells

In the quiet of the woodland understory, Virginia Bluebells emerge just as the earth begins to warm. Their soft pink buds open into clusters of clear blue bells, lighting up the shaded forest floor with early spring color. Native to the rich soils of the Northeast, they grow about two feet tall and spread gently over time, forming graceful colonies beneath trees and along streambanks. Blooming in March and April, they offer one of the first feasts of nectar for bees and hummingbirds. As summer approaches, their leaves fade back into the forest floor, resting until the next spring’s return.