About
Disporum cantoniense, the Canton fairy bells, is a vigorous, rhizomatous perennial reaching 90 cm or more, with arching stems bearing lance-shaped leaves to 12 cm long. Narrowly tubular, purplish-red, brownish-red or creamy-white flowers are produced in groups in late spring and early summer, followed by dark-red berries in autumn. An elegant and ornamental woodland perennial for a moist, shaded border.
About the genus
Disporum, the fairy bells, are rhizomatous perennials with alternate leaves on sparsely branched, arching stems and solitary or clustered, nodding, bell-shaped flowers in the leaf axils, followed by ornamental berries. Elegant and long-lived woodland perennials for moist, shaded borders.
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeLoam
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH3
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitClump forming
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Coastal
Native toHimalaya to Java
Care notes
CultivationGrow in cool moist, well-drained humus-rich soil in a very sheltered shady position; protect with a dry winter mulch. Grow in a cool greenhouse in frost prone areas
PruningCut down old stems in late winter
PropagationPropagate by seed in containers in a cold frame in autumn. Divide in spring before or as growth begins
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to slugs and vine weevil
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free