by Dr. F. Alice LeDuc
Bluebells – Mertensia ciliata – Fringed Lungwort; Mertensia paniculata – Tall Bluebells
Bluebells have beautiful dainty, pendulous, tubular flowers that expand to a bell-shaped structure with flared lobes. Both our species are found in moist meadows, open forest areas and stream sides. Fringed Lungwort Ranges from Alaska to British Columbia then south and east to Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Tall Bluebells are founded in Western U.S. to Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah. Both species are quite similar and so if you find these flowers while out walking or hiking, I think you are good to just call them Bluebells.
Tall Bluebells is an herbaceous perennial with basal leaves egg-shaped or elliptic-lanceolate to heart-shaped, they are two to eight inches long and about one half inch wide having obvious veins. The petioles are long on basal leaves with shorter winged petioles on leaves along the stem. Stem leaves are smaller than basal. Leaf surface is smooth to hairy on upper surface and as is the lower surface. The flowers are held in a loose, pendulous inflorescence at the terminuses of each stem. Each flower is tubular which flares to a bell-shape having five lobes. Color is blue to occasional pink.
Fringed Lungwort, also, is an herbaceous perennial with erect stems from the crown or caudex and leaves to six inches long, veiny and oval to lanceolate shaped. The stems can get as high as three feet. Leaf surface shiny green with a waxy coating, leaves along stems are sessile and smaller than basal. Each stem is topped with an inflorescence composed of flowers, each one half to three quarters inch long, pendulous, fragrant. The tubular base expands to a wider lobed “mouth”. The flowers are blue transitioning to pink and red.
The Tall Bluebells as a whole plant is not edible, but Fringed Lungwort young stems and leaves can be eaten raw while older plant parts are hairy and not very palatable. Because of alkaloids in the Fringed Lungwort it is not wise to eat very much. The dried leaves of Tall Bluebells can be used medicinally to brew an herbal tea that helps stimulate the respiratory system.
From a wildlife standpoint the anthers of Mertensia ciliata have round holes in the tip of each anther through which pollen is collected by Bumblebees as they drink the flowers’ nectar. In the process the flowers become pollinated.
In the environment the underground caudex and thickened stolons survive fires and other damaging events and are among the first secession plants after forest disturbances.
The lovely plants do make enjoyable garden plants where they find a home in moist shaded or partially shaded areas. I love to see the pendulous flowers carpeting the forest floor. I often see the plants while searching for huckleberries. The flowers appear about the same time as the young green huckleberries. So If I am out checking on the potential quantity of berries I can enjoy the Bluebells.
