Now, this bellwort is a little more common than Mountain Bellwort, which was a challenge for me to identify.
If you notice on this plant, the leaves look like the stem pierces right through the leaf. That’s called in botany terms “perfoliate” which is how this Bellwort got it’s name.
Unlike the flowers of Mountain Bellwort, which to me appear tighter at the bottom with only a little separation between petals, the petals of this flower flare out a bit more and have some separation, kind of like a flared trumpet shaped skirt.
So, we’ve got a lovely spring-blooming flower that likes to grow in woodlands. It has a bell-shaped flower that is such a nice buttery creamy yellow.
The ecology of bellworts are pretty fascinating, and I would direct you to the book “Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains & Piedmont” to learn more.
Finally, if I was going to give this plant an alternate name, I’d go with Butterbell!
Alternate Names: Merrybells Size: Plant 8-16" tall Family: Colchicaceae (Meadow Saffron family) Habitat: Shady or some sun, moist to fairly dry forests and woodlands Identifiers: Blooms April-May, creamy bell-shaped flower. Leaves looked to be pierced through by the stem. Perennial.
See how the stem looks to pierce right through the leaf? Look at that flower-flare!
