Tall Bluebells
| April Flowers Types of Flowers Pacific Northwest Flowers Bleeding Heart Coltsfoot Fairy Bells Fawn Lily Larkspur Miner's Lettuce Prairie Star Seapink Shooting Star Snowqueen |
Plants can grow up to six feet, making them giants compared to many of the smaller ground growing bluebell species.
Mertensias are a very adaptable genus of bluebells. Most of the twenty or so different identified North American species are associated with forest or riparian habitat. However a couple of species can be found in fields and wetlands, as well as lower and higher elevations.
Starting off as purple buds, the blue bell shaped flowers bloom in small bunches on a stem. The hairy leaf shown in the picture is another plant characteristic.
Mertensia species are generally considered edible. They often serve as a spring food source for local wildlife.
© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels