Friday, May 09, 2008

Fairy Bells... I Think.


This lovely woodlander, a member of the woodland lilies, is in the genus disporum; it goes by Disporum uniflorum, but also D. flavens and D. flavum... take your pick. I have enough trouble remembering that disporum is fairy bells and uvularia is merry bells. Whatever the label reads, this plant is quite striking when it grows into a large clump, its crisp foliage opening to reveal large creamy yellow hanging bellflowers. Unfortunately the flowers don't last long, soon shattering into hundreds of little yellow shards covering the ground under the plants. It is in such a hurry to bloom in the spring that the two foot tall stalks just shoot out of the ground, and the flowers emerge before the foliage is fully open; when I first grew this plant I thought it had been nipped by a late frost, but it's just from the foliage not being completely unfolded when it starts blooming. Disporum uniflorum is native to China and Korea, and quite hardy except that it is very susceptible to damage from heavy freezes when its foliage is fully open. Although its flowers don't last long, the foliage is very lovely by itself, being very crisp, shiny green. It looks great next to a creamy hosta like 'June'.
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Comments:
Charming!
 
Sheila... it IS elegant!
Don
 
This is a very unique looking plant. I like it a lot.
 
This is one of those plants that I keep thinking that I need, but then talk myself out of because it resembles other plants I already have (Uvularia & Polyganatum).
 
jane marie... it really forms a nice, thick clump.

MMD... you're right; if you have uvularia you really don't need this one; from three feet away I can't tell the difference.
Don
 
Hi Don ... first, thanks for the tip about P. sieboldii you left over my place! After reading your posts, if I can find that purple one, I'm on board for as many as I can afford! hehe

Have to say that Disporum is a new one for me, but sure does look like a pretty one. Does it do well in a woodland setting? (Assuming that's where you might have it planted?) We could use a few more different part-sun/shade plants for ours. Good news is, the original 3 Trilliums we planted 2 yrs ago are now 5! And we just noticed today that the Jack in the Pulpit we planted last year has broken ground! We have great hopes for that one and want to get more. Now I need to go back and search all your arum posts and refresh my memory!
 
Beautiful, as usual.
 
IVG... disporums are perfect and easy in the shade. Several varieties (I'll be showing some other cool ones.

Moe... Hey, how's the Big Muddy?

Don
 
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