It won’t belong before spring woodlanders begin to pop, and one of the first out of the ground for us is the amazing Disporum flavens. This Asian Solomon’s Seal emerges already, with yellow, skyward-facing bells. As the stalk expands upward, the flower orientation changes from upright to horizontal, before becoming pendant.
By mid-April for us, the slowly expanding clump reaches 30″ in height, with each stalk laden with clusters of bright yellow bells. Even after the flowers drop, the plant remains intact and attractive all summer. Disporum flavens is a plant we can seem to keep from photographing every spring, and certainly one we wouldn’t garden without. Sadly, it’s rarely offered commercially because it just doesn’t offset fast enough for most nurseries to find it financially viable.
Finally, as fall approaches, the leaves change to a parchment yellow, with each stem terminating with a cluster of small blue fruit. Disporum flavens is quite easy to grow in a wide range of woodland conditions from slightly moist to fairly dry. When a clump gets a foot or more wide, they are easy to divide and spread around the garden. Winter hardiness is Zone 4a-9b.
It looks so similar to our native bellwort, Uvularia grandiflora.
Are they relatives?
Great observation. It is a first cousin to our native Uvularia, but growing twice the size and lasting far longer into the fall. Both are superb choices for the woodland garden.
Why will you NOT ship to Canada??
Unless someone moved Canada when we weren’t looking, we’ve always shipped to the wonderful plants people there.
Is Disporum flavens available yet?? I really need it…..