The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name: Bellwort

General Information

Uvularia perfoliata is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.40 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern N. America - Quebec to Ontario, south to Florida and Mississippi.

Habitat

Moist woodland and scrub in acid to circumneutral soils from sea level to 1000 metres[, , ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.40 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a cool moist shady position and a light sandy soil[, , ]. Likes plenty of humus in the soil[]. Grows well in a woodland garden and in the rock garden[]. Plants grow much taller in rich soils and then succeed in the herbaceous border[].
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots - cooked[, , ]. They are a very good substitute for asparagus[].
Root - cooked[, , ].

Medicinal

The root is used as a poultice or salve in the treatment of boils, wounds and ulcers[].
A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of coughs, sore mouths and throats, inflamed gums and snakebites[, ]. It is suitable for use by children[]. An infusion of the crushed roots has been used as a wash to treat sore eyes[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the summer[]. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division after the plants die down in late summer. It is best carried out in early spring before the plants flower[]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the following spring.