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Prosartes smithii

SMITH'S FAIRYBELLS, FAIRY LANTERNS, LARGEFLOWER FAIRYBELLS, COAST FAIRY BELLS
syn. Disporum smithii, Prosartes menziesii, Uvularia smithii
Family: Colchicaceae
Pronounced: pro-SAR-teez SMITH-ee-eye

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Origin:
California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
Plant Group:
Perennial.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: 4 through 7, 14 through 17.
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, oblong, golden-orange 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.

Rainy Side Notes

Most often found in moist, shady woods, you can grow Prosartes smithii — commonly called fairy bells — in the garden with similar growing conditions in the Pacific Northwest. However, they are drought tolerant once established, yet perform better with supplemental watering during our drought. The dainty-looking fairy bells hang from smooth stems, followed by bright golden-orange, fleshy fruit.

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.

Wildlife

The flowers are invaluable as they attract pollinators. Later when the fruit ripens from midsummer to early fall, it is eaten by by towhees, and robins. Our native squirrels and chipmunks eat the fruit too. The leaves remain pristine in my garden, as the slugs leave them alone.

Ethnobotany

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).

Photographed in Newport, Oregon.

Rainy Side Gardeners — rainyside.com