I’m slowly adding more native plants to my yard. One spring native I hadn’t noticed before until I saw it growing in a neighbor’s front yard a few years ago is Virginia Bluebells.
Their color is gorgeous, and the plants do well in the shade which I am getting more and more of as the oaks that surround my yard continue to mature.
These plants prefer moist, well-drained soil and the flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
I often see Virginia Bluebells blooming on hiking trails in the late spring as well:
The flowers are the closest to true blue that you can find in the plant world. The flower buds may appear pink but then they mature to that gorgeous shade of blue. Once they are past their prime they start to turn lavender.
I purchased a couple of these plants several years ago. Virginia Bluebells may naturalize which I would welcome on the east side of my house, but so far they’ve stayed right where I planted them. Perhaps the last couple of very dry summers had something to do with that. This is a plant that can even tolerate flooding.
Virginia Bluebells are in the borage family. The plants grow up to 24 inches tall and they’re hardy in Zones 3-9. If I can find more plants available locally I would like to add some to my other shade areas.