Uvularia

Uvularia is a genus of plants in the family Uvulariaceae, sister to the lily family (Liliaceae). They are commonly called Bellworts, Bellfowers or Merrybells. This unusual flower is found in April and May, often on wooded slopes or in ravines and it spreads by stolons or stoloniferus rhizomes. The plants are usually 18 to 24 inches (45–60 cm) in height and bear one or two flowers which hang downward from the axils of the leaves.

They have erect, simple or twice branched stems with leaves at the top of the stems that are alternate, or perfoliated. Flowers hang downward in Spring from the top of the plants. They form singularly or sometimes in pairs.

There are five species of Uvularia and all are exclusively native to North America. They grow from northern Florida to Canada west to Minnesota and south to Texas. These unobtrusive woodland plants are great for the woodland and shade garden, they require little work and are happy just left alone but are also easy to work with if you must move them.


Species
Uvularia grandiflora - Large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) is a plant in the family Liliaceae. It blooms in May, producing large yellow flowers. The top parts of the plant tend to bend downward due to the weight of the leaves and flowers. The light green stems are round, glabrous, and glaucous and the leaves are perfoliate since the stem appears to come through the leaves at the base.
Large flowered bellwort are different from Uvularia sessilifolia in that the leaves grow from the stem and its flowers are smaller. Uvalaria grandiflora are also different from Uvularia perfoliata, which occurs in Central North America. The perfoliata has similar large perfolate leaves like the grandiflora, but the flowers have orange-coloured bumps on the petals.
Bumblebees, Mason bees, Halictid bees, and Andrenid bees feed from the nectar and collect pollen from the flowers. Deer love to eat these plants.

Uvularia sessilifolia - Sessile bellwort or wild oats (Uvularia sessilifolia) is a species of bellwort native to Eastern North America. It grows in woodlands with wet or dry soils.
The strap-like leaves are sessile on the stem. The flowers are yellow, narrowly bell-shaped, and creamy yellow, blooming in spring.
The leaves have no hairs on the margin and are somewhat narrow, distinguishing this plant from the similar Streptopus. They spread asexually by means of long under ground stolons with most plants in a clonal colony not flowering. Flowering plants often do not set seed, but when plants form seeds they are in three angled fruits. It is used in 8th grade labs.

Uvulariaperfoliata

Uvularia floridana

Uvularia puberula

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