Disporum smilacinum BSWJ531

Japanese Fairy Bells Colchicaceae

A particularly choice wild-collected Disporum, with a rather more interesting passport than its modest appearance might suggest. Slender, spreading stems carry neat, elliptic green leaves and, in spring, delicate pendent white bells beneath the foliage. Dark berries follow later, adding a little punctuation to an otherwise quietly elegant woodland plant.

BSWJ 531 was collected by Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones of Crûg Farm on the South Korean island of T’aehüksandõ, during their early Korean plant-hunting work. The BSWJ collections from this expedition have become an important source of unusual and well-adapted plants for Western gardens, and this form of D. smilacinum is a particularly nice example. Its island provenance is especially intriguing, suggesting a population growing in the cool, wooded habitats characteristic of the species.

In cultivation it is happiest in humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil and partial or dappled shade, where it slowly forms an attractive colony amongst ferns and other woodland perennials. A plant with a proper wild provenance, rather than merely a mysterious number on a label – and one with considerably more history than its diminutive stature might imply.

Height: 25–40 cm
Spread: 40–60 cm
Flowering: April–May
Hardiness: H5, approximately –15 to –10°C
Position: Partial shade to shade
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, well-drained

Collection: Bleddyn & Sue Wynn-Jones, BSWJ 531, T’aehüksandõ, South Korea.