Virginia Bluebell
Mertensia virginiana
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Virginia Bluebell - 3 Pack Bulbs is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Virginia Bluebell highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Spacing
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Sun ExposureFull Shade
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateFast
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodLate Spring

Growing Zones 4-9
A perfect, shade-loving flower, the Virginia Blue Bell (Mertensia virginica) is a native plant to the eastern United States, and can be grown throughout much of the country. The curious color-changing flower buds emerge a pink color and gradually turn to their lovely shade of light blue, as they open fully while blooming through the spring before taking on a more lavender hue at maturity.
Forming clusters of bell-shaped blooms with their nodding buds atop long slender stems, they attract early spring pollinators to sip the nectar. Beneath the Virginia Bluebell blooms lies the large, green, oval leaves of this attractive herbaceous perennial. The plant stands upright, reaching up to 2 feet tall, and produces arching ends with pendulous clusters of bell-shaped flowers. It looks more beautiful than it sounds too and your whole neighborhood will be able to attest to that!
Virginia Blue Bell is a very hardy plant and will even grow beneath Black Walnut trees! You will have no worries about anything stopping this flower from standing out amongst the crowd! Remarkably cold-hardy throughout USDA growing zones 3 through 8, Blue Bells are easy-to-grow wildflowers for shade! Blue Bells are deer and rabbit resistant too!
Planting and Application:
Just imagine the Virginia Blue Bell planted in natural clumps in shaded areas of your landscape or lining a wandering path. These lovely blooms add color to shaded gardens and early spring landscapes. Because these shy blooms recede in the heat, Bluebells appreciate being underplantings beneath larger shrubs and trees, especially ones that leaf out later in the season giving these delicate perennials a place to hide.
Pollinators will still love the plant, and butterflies, moths, and bees will flock to the small blooms. And who can really blame them? This flower is absolutely stunning! Plant in shady pollinator and wildflower gardens, in dappled forest meadows and cut flower gardens, and beneath the shade of large trees where they happily ramble and spread. They appear like spring ephemerals and shyly hide once the summer's heat kicks in.
- Color-Changing Blooms - Pinkish to Blue to Lavender
- North American Native
- Shade-Loving, Flowering Bulb
- Fast Growing Ephemerals
- Rows and Groupings, Shade Gardens & Spring Bulb Plantings
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Plant your lovely flowers in well-drained soil with partial shade to full shade for the best, healthy growth possible, while also enhancing the overall physical appearance of your landscaping! Blue Bells in the hotter of their preferred growing zones do best in full shade. Plant in very rich organic soil that is well-drained and consistently moist. Enrich the soil with a 3-4 inch layer of arborist bark chips that insulate and better the soil as it breaks down. In the late summer or fall, after the foliage has yellowed, clean the mounds of old foliage.
- Partial Shade & Full Shade
- Organic Humusy Soil & Mulched Beds
- Consistent Moisture & Fertility
- Juglone Tolerant & Deer and Rabbit Resistant
- Clean Mounds After Foliage Yellows
Make that a reality today by ordering your very own Virginia Blue Bell today at Nature Hills Nursery! It will be a landscaping-changing decision! Order your perennial spring ephemerals today and we'll ship your order to your growing zone at the right planting time.