Virginia bluebells
Mertensia virginica (L.) Pers. ex Link
Virginia bluebells in all of Ohio- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Order
- Boraginales
- Family
- Boraginaceae
- Genus
- Mertensia
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 24 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (12)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (50)
- Recorded, season not shown (2)
- Season shown (24)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | 74 · Season shown |
| Allen County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashtabula County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Athens County | 106 · Season shown |
| Auglaize County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Belmont County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Brown County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Butler County | 148 · Season shown |
| Carroll County | No qualifying records yet |
| Champaign County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Clark County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Clermont County | 88 · Season shown |
| Clinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Columbiana County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Crawford County | No qualifying records yet |
| Cuyahoga County | 251 · Season shown |
| Darke County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Defiance County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Delaware County | 39 · Season shown |
| Erie County | 34 · Season shown |
| Fairfield County | 21 · Season shown |
| Fayette County | No qualifying records yet |
| Franklin County | 344 · Season shown |
| Fulton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Gallia County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Geauga County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Greene County | 132 · Season shown |
| Guernsey County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hamilton County | 278 · Season shown |
| Hancock County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hardin County | No qualifying records yet |
| Harrison County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Henry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Highland County | 32 · Season shown |
| Hocking County | 32 · Season shown |
| Holmes County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Huron County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jackson County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jefferson County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lake County | 76 · Season shown |
| Lawrence County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Licking County | 31 · Season shown |
| Logan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lorain County | 67 · Season shown |
| Lucas County | 22 · Season shown |
| Madison County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Mahoning County | 47 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Marion County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Medina County | 30 · Season shown |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mercer County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Miami County | 37 · Season shown |
| Monroe County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Montgomery County | 94 · Season shown |
| Morgan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Morrow County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Muskingum County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Noble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet |
| Perry County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pickaway County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pike County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Portage County | 22 · Season shown |
| Preble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ross County | 20 · Season shown |
| Sandusky County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Scioto County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Seneca County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Shelby County | No qualifying records yet |
| Stark County | 23 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Summit County | 151 · Season shown |
| Trumbull County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Tuscarawas County | No qualifying records yet |
| Union County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Van Wert County | No qualifying records yet |
| Vinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Warren County | 23 · Season shown |
| Washington County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wayne County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Williams County | No qualifying records yet |
| Wood County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Licking County
Mid-March to early May, middle week Apr 12–18
Records per week from 31 records in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 29 dates. Latest record: April 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Virginia bluebells | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 46 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Mar 8–14 | 2 | 1 | 73 |
| Mar 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 102 |
| Mar 22–28 | 1 | 1 | 68 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 3 | 3 | 152 |
| Apr 5–11 | 3 | 3 | 181 |
| Apr 12–18 | 6 | 4 | 387 |
| Apr 19–25 | 5 | 3 | 309 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 5 | 4 | 368 |
| May 3–9 | 4 | 3 | 313 |
| May 10–16 | 1 | 1 | 359 |
| May 17–23 | 0 | 0 | 420 |
| May 24–30 | 0 | 0 | 391 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 0 | 0 | 472 |
| Jun 7–13 | 0 | 0 | 525 |
| Jun 14–20 | 0 | 0 | 545 |
| Jun 21–27 | 0 | 0 | 525 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 0 | 0 | 601 |
| Jul 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 882 |
| Jul 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 852 |
| Jul 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 572 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 0 | 0 | 652 |
| Aug 2–8 | 0 | 0 | 459 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 634 |
| Aug 16–22 | 0 | 0 | 757 |
| Aug 23–29 | 0 | 0 | 628 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 0 | 0 | 531 |
| Sep 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 822 |
| Sep 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 489 |
| Sep 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 492 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 467 |
| Oct 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 428 |
| Oct 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 353 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 288 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 135 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 93 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 43 |
Reported in flower
Only 2 records here show flowers, too few to show a flowering season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
Reported in fruit
No records here show fruit yet, so there is no fruiting season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Late March to early May, middle week Apr 19–25
Records per week from 3,136 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 533 dates. Latest record: June 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Virginia bluebells | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 1 | 1 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 7 | 4 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 12 | 4 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 35 | 8 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 51 | 7 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 127 | 10 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 255 | 10 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 361 | 10 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 571 | 10 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 584 | 10 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 579 | 10 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 333 | 10 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 158 | 9 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 38 | 8 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 11 | 6 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 8 | 5 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 2 | 2 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 0 | 0 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 1 | 1 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 0 | 0 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 0 | 0 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 0 | 0 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 0 | 0 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 0 | 0 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 0 | 0 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 1 | 1 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 8,459 |
Reported in flower
Usually reported in flower late March to early May, middle week Apr 19–25.
From 633 records that show flowers. Not every photo of a plant in flower is marked as flowering, so this shows when people reported it in flower, not when it flowers.
Reported in fruit
Only 28 records here show fruit, too few to show a fruiting season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Often confused with
- wild comfrey Andersonglossum virginianum32 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- virginia stickseed Hackelia virginiana28 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata14 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Jacob's ladder Polemonium reptans14 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea10 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
- Jan: no record
- Feb: recorded
- Mar: recorded
- Apr: recorded
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: no record
- Aug: no record
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: no record
- Nov: no record
- Dec: no record
Not reported in Ohio in July to August and October to January, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Forest | 59%31% |
| Developed | 31%49% |
| Wetland | 8%5% |
| Farmland | 1%11% |
| Open water | 0.5%3% |
| Grassland and shrub | 0.2%0.9% |
From 1,910 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Licking County result
31 records from 1 dataset.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 31 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.