Flowering Hooker’s fairybells (Prosartes hookeri) growing in a NW shade garden. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plant Nursery in Portland, Oregon.

Hooker’s fairybells (Prosartes hookeri) with leaves unfurling in early spring. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plant Nursery in Portland, Oregon.

Close up of the leaves and stems of Hooker’s fairybells (Prosartes hookeri). One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plant Nursery in Portland, Oregon.

Close up of the white flowers of Hooker’s fairybells (Prosartes hookeri). One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plant Nursery in Portland, Oregon.

Close up of the branches, leaves and flowers of Hooker’s fairybells (Prosartes hookeri) growing in a NW shade garden. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plant Nursery in Portland, Oregon.

Overhead look at the branches and leaves of Hooker’s fairybells (Prosartes hookeri). One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plant Nursery in Portland, Oregon.

Hooker's Fairybells

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Prosartes hookeri (syn Disporum hookeri)

Hooker's fairybells is a gorgeous shade-loving perennial that is truly enchanting in a woodland garden - especially when planted in groups or drifts. In spring, its intricate white flowers generally bloom in pairs from branch tips, the petals flaring outward to reveal dangling yellow anthers. The graceful branching pattern of its stems and leathery leaves are quite architectural, and hold their artful form even in the peak of the summer drought. As the growing season wraps up, the flowers mature into shiny orange fruits, a color as noteworthy as it is uncommon in any native garden.

Plant type/canopy layer: deciduous, perennial, herbaceous plant
Size at maturity: 12-36" tall, 12-24" wide
Light requirements: full shade, part sun/part shade
Moisture requirements: moist soil
Bloom Time: April - July
Growth rate/ease: fast growing, easy to grow
Wildlife support: flowers attract and support hummingbirds; overall plant attracts bees and other insect pollinators
Native habitat/range: common in shady damp thickets, montane conifer and mixed-evergreen forests, and exposed roadsides, from sea level to about 2300m, from Alberta and British Columbia to California and east to Montana. Additional populations have been found in the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota as well as in the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan. In Oregon, it generally occurs in the western portion of the state and the Umatilla Forest. Portland Plant List - yes.
Special features & uses: attracts hummingbirds; technically edible, though bland and mealy and generally considered best left for wildlife and propagation

Gardening with Hooker’s Fairybells: This cheerful, drought-tolerant wildflower is ideal for shady woodland gardens. It requires soil with lots of organic matter. Try integrating compost initially, if needed, and leaving the fall leaves and other debris where they fall each year. It grows taller with a robust stature, gorgeous when interplanted throughout the middle of shady beds where it can strike a pose above lower-growing groundcovers.

Companion Plants: Try this beauty in the shade of native trees such as big leaf or vine maples (Acer macrophyllum/circinatum), quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) or Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii); shrubs such as salal (Gaultheria shallon), osoberry (Oemleria cerasiformis), snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), oval-leaved viburnum (Viburnum ellipticum) or Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus) and herbaceous plant like candyflower (Claytonia sibirica), Pacific waterleaf (Hydrophyllum tenuipes), Oxalis (Oxalis oregana), violets (Viola sp.) and of course any and all types of ferns.

Photo Credit 1 & 5: Nikkie West, Sparrowhawk Native Plants

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