Disporum smithii

SMITH'S FAIRYBELLS, FAIRY LANTERNS, LARGEFLOWER FAIRYBELLS
syn. Prosartes smithii, Prosartes menziesii, Uvularia smithii
Family: Colchicaceae
Pronounced: DIE-spo-rum SMITH-ee-eye

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Growing Guide
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GROWING GUIDE

Geographic Origin:
California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
Plant Group:
Perennial.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: Not listed.
USDA zones: 4-9.
Heat zones: 9-1.
Mature size:
Height: 12-24 inches (30-60 cm).
Width: 12 inches (30 cm).
Flowering period:
Early to late spring.
Flowering attributes:
Creamy white, 1/2 inch long, narrow bells that flare slightly at the tips. Large, orange-red berries follow the flowers.
Leaf attributes:
Ovate-lance shaped leaves on red-tinged stems.
Growth habit:
Creeping.
Light:
Partial shade to shade.
Soil:
Fertile, moist, humus rich soil.
Feeding:
Apply a complete organic fertilizer in the spring.
Propagation Methods:
Sow seed in autumn and winter over in cold frame.
Divide in early spring.

Commonly found in moist, shady woods, Disporum smithii can be grown by anyone with similar growing conditions in the Pacific Northwest. The dainty-looking fairybells hang pendant from smooth stems, followed by bright orange-red, fleshy fruit, which squirrels eat. At the Newport Aquarium on the Oregon coast, I found these growing with Oxalis oregana at their feet, a handsome combination.

Disporum comes from the Greek words, dis meaning two and spora meaning seed, describing the ovaries containing two seeds in each chamber. In the Northwest, the Makah used the plant as a love medicine. Some indigenous people ate the berries; however, most tribes considered them poisonous and related them to snakes or ghosts.

The genus Disporum has been moved from the lily family (Lilaceae) into the colchicum family (Colchicaceae).

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Photographed in Newport, Oregon.

A Pacific Northwest Plant of the Week (2012)

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