Disporum

( dis - POH - rum )

At-A-Glance Information

These beautiful pendulous flowers are commonly called Fairy Bells, and are naturally found in Asia. Disporum plants grow from underground rhizomes, and can have a clumping habit as well. Flowering stems arch over attractive green foliage, and blooms are followed after a few months by dark berries. Use these plants in woodland gardens or in shaded border plantings. These plants prefer rich, moist soil and can be a bit slow to start once installed. Patience, however, will be rewarded with an interesting garden plant that will continue performing year after year. 

Disporum Species and Varietals

The genus Disporum is a member of the plant family Colchicaceae and includes about 20 species. Species were once included under the genus Drapiezia, and US native species that were once included in this genus were moved to Prosartes. Chinese Fairy Bells grows best in zones 4-9 and 14-17. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

​Disporum cantoniense (Chinese Fairy Bells)
These interesting flowering plants need partial to full shade, regular water, and are native to China, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas. They are great for woodland gardens. Foliage is similar to Bamboo, and grows in shoots in springtime from underground rhizomes in shades of white, pink, purple, or green. Foliage is green, and fragrant flowers come in white or reddish-purple. Blooms dangle in clusters and are followed by dark berries. Plants have an upright habit, reaching 4-6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. They will die back to the ground in colder weather.

Disporum longistylum (Long-Styled Disporum)
This species of Fairy Bells is native to Assam, Tibet, and central China. Stems are purple and bamboo-like. Plants will typically reach about Varieties include 'Night Heron' (pictured, with dark purple to purple-green foliage), 'Green Giant', and 'Moonlight'.

Disporum megalanthum
This species is native to central China and produces a plant that reaches about 2 feet tall at maturity. White to cream-colored flowers are bell-shaped and nodding, and deciduous leaves are glossy and bright green. This is a woodland-environment plant that prefers rich neutral to acidic soil.

Disporum uniflorum (Yellow Fairy Bells)
As its common name suggests, this species of Disporum produces yellow flowers. Foliage is green. These plants are native to Korea. 

Disporum viridescens (Green Fairy Bells)
Native to woodland areas and grassy slopes in northeastern China, eastern Russia, Japan, and Korea. This species reaches between 12 and 31 inches tall when in bloom. Greenish-white flowers appear in May through June, and are followed by black berry fruits. 

Caring for Disporum

Disporum, or Fairy Bells, prefers a space in the landscape that is sheltered from direct sun. They are naturally woodland plants, and can form clumps using rhizome roots. Make sure that there is enough space for them to grow in the landscape; there are some varieties that make great groundcover plants. These plants love moist, rich soil amended with plenty of organic matter.  If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Water new plants regularly as they establish a strong root system. At maturity, provide regular waterings, irrigating whenever the top 2 inches of soil feels dry to the touch. Mulch around the base of these plants with organic mulching material to suppress weed growth, maintain soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Fertilize yearly in early springtime with a application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage and spent flower inflorescences.

Propagation

Disporum can be propagated either by division or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Fairy Bells plant, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Disporum by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant, especially if you are attempting to propagate a hybrid variety or special cultivar. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. Seeds will need a period of cold stratification to successfully germinate. To complete this process, place seeds in moistened peat moss or sand within a sealable container or plastic bag. Then, place the bag in the refrigerator (or another place that remains around 40 degrees Fahrenheit) for between 8 and 12 weeks' time. After this period has passed, remove seeds and sow them.
  4. In either late winter or early springtime, get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-4 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  5. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Disporum by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (12 inch pots will do, and these are only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:
  1. Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
  2. Start to tease apart the roots with your gloved fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
  3. Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
  4. Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.
Disporum plants produce dark reddish-black to purple berries after flowers fade.
Disporum seeds are contained inside of the berries. There are a few in each berry.

Problems and Pests

Although typically resilient plants, Disporum are susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape:
  • Fungal Leaf Spot
  • Snails and Slugs
For more information about these issues, including how to treat and prevent them, see the following pages:
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Gallery

These plants produce pendulous, bell-shaped flowers.
Some varieties have purple to purple-black foliage.
Disporum plants are at home in woodland landscapes.

Videos

Why you should be growing these plants in the landscape.
Diasporum in its native habitat.

Resources

Disporum longistylum
Disporum - Plant Toolbox
Wikipedia: Disporum
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 290, Disporum cantoniense
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