Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica (Linnaeus) Persoon    
Kingdom Plantae   >   Division Tracheophyta   >   Class Magnoliopsida   >   Order Lamiales   >   Family Boraginaceae   >   Genus Mertensia   

Status:

Virginia Bluebells are native to eastern North America. They grow in rich woods, often on floodplains. They may form large stands, providing cover for many kinds of wildlife in the Spring.

Description:

Virginia Bluebells have nodding clusters of flowers that are pinkish in bud, and blue (rarely white or pink) when fully open and mature. The flower color varies with soil acidity (Brown and Brown, 1984). The flowers are tubular at the base and flare into a bell-like shape towards the outer rim, where there are five shallow lobes.

Where to find:

In Maryland, Virginia Bluebells grow mainly in the mountains and Piedmont.

Relationships:

The flowers are pollinated mainly by long-tongued bees.

There are 796 records in the project database.

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Virginia Bluebells blooming in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/29/2018). Photo by Bonnie Bell. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells blooming in Allegany Co., Maryland (4/17/2019). Photo by Kimberly Booth. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells blooming in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/16/2006). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells blooming in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/13/2016). Photo by Max Wilson. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells blooming in Cecil Co., Maryland (4/22/2011). Photo by Sean McCandless. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells blooming in Harford Co., Maryland (4/16/2016). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells blooming in Washington Co., Maryland (5/1/2015). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Cecil Co., Maryland (4/29/2017). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Allegany Co., Maryland (4/10/2010). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells blooming in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/12/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells blooming in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/4/2017). Photo by Matthew Beziat. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Allegany Co., Maryland (3/27/2016). Photo by Kimberly Booth. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Allegany Co., Maryland (3/20/2017). Photo by Kimberly Booth. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells growing in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/18/2017). Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells emerging in Washington Co., Maryland (3/5/2017). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/7/2021). (c) bugzilla, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by bugzilla via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Charles Co., Maryland (4/4/2020). Photo by Julie Simpson. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells emerging through the snow in Washington Co., Maryland (3/24/2018). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Howard Co., Maryland (4/11/2017). Image processed by Helen Lowe Metzman. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/26/2020). (c) fracturing, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by fracturing via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/14/2020). No rights reserved. Photo by granolapunk via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/26/2020). (c) Luca Catanzaro, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Luca Catanzaro via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/30/2020). (c) Daniel McClosky, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Daniel McClosky via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Harford Co., Maryland (4/12/2020). (c) radhardened, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by radhardened via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Harford Co., Maryland (4/17/2018). (c) Daniel McClosky, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Daniel McClosky via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/29/2020). (c) Dwight Johnson, all rights reserved. Photo by Dwight Johnson. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/29/2020). (c) Dwight Johnson, all rights reserved. Photo by Dwight Johnson. (MBP list)

Virginia Bluebells in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/19/2020). (c) Dwight Johnson, all rights reserved. Photo by Dwight Johnson. (MBP list)


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