Bloomipedia
Largeflower bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
Photo: Tom Scavo via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Largeflower bellwort

Uvularia grandiflora

Largeflower bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) is a flowering plant in the Colchicaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Largeflower bellwort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

30states where USDA records it
6Bloomipedia state lists include it
16,415U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin

Quick look

Uvularia grandiflora, the large-flowered bellwort or merrybells, is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae, native to eastern and central North America.

  • It belongs to the Colchicaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 30 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Iowa. NatureServe
  • In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • In Wisconsin, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,033 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #36 among the 152 flowers on our Minnesota list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,210 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #61 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,194 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #86 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,575 records)
Bloom time in the 6 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
MinnesotaNativeApril–May3,033
WisconsinNativeApril–May2,210
IllinoisNativeApril–May2,194
MissouriNativeApril1,116
IndianaNativeApril–May853
IowaNativeApril–May376

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 5 of our 6 states.
See each state
Minnesota
Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. Minn. R. 6134.0300
Wisconsin
Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. NR 27.03
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: S5, secure in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (S1), KS (S2), MD (S1), NH (S1), OK (S2), SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records largeflower bellwort in 30 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Itasca, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Mahnomen, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Renville, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Winona, Wright.

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Mason, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, White, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 843 counties across 28 states; the most are in Illinois (91), Kentucky (77), Ohio (76).

Other Uvularia on Bloomipedia (1): Sessile bellwort.

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Sources