Bellwort, Perfoliate bellwort
Uvularia perfoliata
Family: Uvulariaceae
What it is like
Uvularia perfoliata is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.4
Where it is found
Moist woodland and scrub in acid to circumneutral soils from sea level to 1000 metres.
Eastern N. America - Quebec to Ontario, south to Florida and Mississippi.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Young shoots - cooked. They are a very good substitute for asparagus. Root - cooked.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The root is used as a poultice or salve in the treatment of boils, wounds and ulcers. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of coughs, sore mouths and throats, inflamed gums and snakebites. It is suitable for use by children. An infusion of the crushed roots has been used as a wash to treat sore eyes.
Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.
Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.
Salve: Soothes and heals damaged skin.
Other
Rating:
Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.
How it is grown
Requires a cool moist shady position and a light sandy soil. Likes plenty of humus in the soil. Grows well in a woodland garden and in the rock garden. Plants grow much taller in rich soils and then succeed in the herbaceous border. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the summer. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division after the plants die down in late summer. It is best carried out in early spring before the plants flower. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the following spring.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade
Moisture: Moist