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Common Name: Bellwort

General Information

Uvularia sessilifolia is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.30 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern and southeastern N. America - New Brunswick to Ontario, south to Georgia and Arkansas.

Habitat

Moist hardwood coves, alluvial bottomlands, thickets and xeric woods northwards from sea level to 1000 metres[, , ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Growth Rate	Fast
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 deciduous woodland garden[, ] and in the rock garden[]. Plants grow much taller in rich soils and then succeed in the herbaceous border[]. They can spread quite quickly when in a suitable position[].
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c[].
This species is closely related to U. caroliniana[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots - cooked[, , , , ]. The shoots are harvested when they are still tender enough to be broken off with a fingernail and are used as an asparagus substitute[, ].
Root - cooked[, , , , ] or used in diet drinks[, ].

Medicinal

A tea made from the roots is a blood purifier and is used in the treatment of diarrhoea[, ]. It is taken internally to aid in healing broken bones[].
A poultice of the roots is applied to broken bones, boils etc[, ].

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.