Bellwort, Sessileleaf bellwort
Uvularia sessilifolia

Family: Uvulariaceae

What it is like

Uvularia sessilifolia is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a fast rate. 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): 0.3

Where it is found

Moist hardwood coves, alluvial bottomlands, thickets and xeric woods northwards from sea level to 1000 metres.

Eastern and southeastern N. America - New Brunswick to Ontario, south to Georgia and Arkansas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Young shoots - cooked. The shoots are harvested when they are still tender enough to be broken off with a fingernail and are used as an asparagus substitute. Root - cooked or used in diet drinks.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 1

A tea made from the roots is a blood purifier and is used in the treatment of diarrhoea. It is taken internally to aid in healing broken bones. A poultice of the roots is applied to broken bones, boils etc.

Blood tonic: Is this any different to a blood purifier?

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating:

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

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 deciduous woodland garden and in the rock garden. Plants grow much taller in rich soils and then succeed in the herbaceous border. They can spread quite quickly when in a suitable position. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c. This species is closely related to U. caroliniana. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is rhizomatous with underground stems sending roots and shoots along their length.

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: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Full shade, semi-shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Oakesia sessilifolia. Oakesiella sessilifolia.