Green fairy bells is a woodland perennial from East Asia whose greenish-white flowers hang like little bells at the tips of its stems in late spring. It is native to Korea, Japan, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East, and you won't find it growing wild in the United States.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A perennial that spreads by creeping underground stems (rhizomes). Stems are about 1–2.5 ft (30–80 cm) tall and may branch near the top.
- Flowers
- One or two nodding flowers at the stem tips, with six greenish-white petal-like parts about 0.6–0.8 in (1.5–2 cm) long.
- Flowering time
- Late spring to early summer (around May–June).
- Fruit
- Black, round berries about 0.4 in (1 cm) across ripen a few months after flowering.
Look-alikes
Japanese-Korean fairy bellsDisporum smilacinum
Japanese-Korean fairy bells is smaller, about 6–16 in (15–40 cm) tall, with white flowers about 0.4 in (1 cm) across. Green fairy bells is taller and branches near the top, and its larger flowers have a green tint.
Why they get mixed upBoth are East Asian fairy bells with nodding flowers and similar leaves.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Woodlands
- Grassy slopes
- Range
- Native to northeastern China, the Russian Far East, Korea, and northern and central Japan. It is not native to North America.
- Preferred conditions
- Grows in woodland and on grassy slopes up to about 2,000 ft (600 m).
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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