Sessile-leaved Bellwort

Uvularia sessilifolia

Pollinator Value

🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena uvulariae
S17 Andrena (Derandrena) uvulariae, specialist on Uvularia

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Ranked S4 (Apparently Secure) in both Ontario and Quebec, G5 globally. Not SARA-listed. In Ottawa, Brunton (2005) reports it as RS at 6 sites, with one (Britannia CA) possibly extirpated. The species is widespread across eastern North America but locally uncommon in sandy acidic habitats.
S22 S26 S62
Rarity Ranks: QC S4 – Apparently Secure, ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A delicate woodland perennial of deciduous and mixed forests, typically found in mesic to dry-mesic conditions on sandy, acidic soils. In the Outaouais, herbarium specimens document it in sugar maple forests (erabliere sucriere), red maple-Ostrya stands, and hemlock-yellow birch woods. Colonizes via elongate creeping rhizomes, forming scattered colonies rather than dense clumps. Ranked S4 in both ON and QC, indicating a secure but not abundant species.
S7 S48 S22

Roles: groundcover, pollinator support
S73 guild_layer=herb; S29 groundcover habit; S17 specialist bee support
Notes: Excellent shade groundcover companion for deciduous woodland gardens. Spreads by rhizomes to fill gaps beneath canopy trees, complementing spring ephemerals and other woodland herbs. PFAF lists it for dappled shade and shady edge habitats.
S29 S46

Category: Antidiarrheal, Dermatological Aid, Blood Tonic, Orthopedic Aid
S28 Cherokee+Iroquois uses; S29 blood purifier, poultice
Notes: Cherokee used root infusion for diarrhea and root poultice for boils. Iroquois used root infusion as a blood purifier and both internally and as a poultice for broken bones. Ojibwa used the root as part of a hunting medicine. PFAF rates medicinal value 1/5.
S28 S29

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Young shoots harvested when still tender enough to snap with a fingernail, cooked as an asparagus substitute. Leaves eaten as cooked greens by the Cherokee. Roots also cooked or used in diet drinks. A minor forage plant, not commonly eaten in modern cuisine.
S29 S28