Virginia Bluebells  Mertensia virginica 
                                                                   William S. Justice from USDA's PLANTS database
 
Common Name Virginia Bluebells
Scientific Name Mertensia virginica
Height 18" stems, 1" bell flower 
 Sun/Shade Partial sun - shade 
  Bloom Season Spring 
 Bloom Color Blue
Soil  Moist in spring. Versatile - prefers humus rich loam, tolerates heavy clay.  pH 4.5-8. 
Disease Susceptibility
Propagation  Divide rhizome, cover with 11/2-2" soil.  Self sow if there is enough moisture.
 Notes Space at least 15-18" apart. Best moved in early fall - tubers can be broken up. Loose foilage, plant among other persistent plants.

 
 
  Prairie Nursery Heartland Restoration Enders Taylor Creek Possibility Place
Costs
from Spring 2001 catalog
Not available Not available Native plant retail prices: 
 ½ pint - 2.35, 
pint - 3.40, 
quart - 4.75,
 ½ gallon - 5.95,
 gallon - 7.50 & up.
Not available Not available

Information on Mertensia virginica:
- USDA's PLANTS database. Plant Profile: http://plants.usda.gov/plants/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=fact_sheet.cgi
- Wisconsin State Herbarium -http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/herbarium/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=MERVIR
- Landscaping with Plants Native to Indiana. (pamphlet). November 1999.
- Cullina, Willaim. The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2000.
- Harstad, Carolyn. Go Native! Gardening with Native Plants and Wildflowers in the Lower Midwest.  Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999