Enjoy these still shots of the bluebells at Bull Run Virginia, possibly the largest Mertensia virginica  population in the world!
Mertensia virginica at Bull Run Virginia
BLUEBELLS BLOOM AND SURVIVE FREEZE
In one 24 hour period, these Bluebells, which have escaped our garden and are now growing in Morris Park, bloomed and survived a freeze where the temperature dipped to 25 degrees, just for a few hours at most. Â We anticipated this event and discussed its outcome but did not know what built- in mechanism the plant had in its survival strategy.
Now we know a little bit more: the plant lowers itself to the ground, presumably to capture heat that has been getting stored in the soil and leaf litter, just enough to make it through a short term burst of cold in early Spring.
This Mertensia virginica plant can also weather periodic flooding as well!