Oconee Bells

Description:

Oconee bells is a stemless perennial herb that forms a ground cover of round, waxy green leaves that persist on the plant all year, turning a reddish-bronze color in winter. Nodding, bell-shaped, white or pink flowers bloom for about a week in early spring (NatureServe 2003). Shortia galacifolia is subdivided into var. brevistyla and var. galacifolia. S. galacifolia var. brevistyla has styles 6 to 10 mm in length with filaments typically 5 to 7 mm in length (Weakley 2002).

Habitat:

Oconee bells inhabits shady woods and stream banks with rich, humus-enriched soils. The species is most abundant on deep ravine slopes where cool, humid conditions prevail. Often in rhododendron thickets within mixed hardwood stands (NatureServe, 2003). Shortia galacifolia var. brevistyla inhabits moist slopes creekbanks, and rock outcrops in humid escarpment gorges having high precipitation levels, generally growing in deep shade under rhododendron at elevations ranging from 350 to 550 meters. The species is found along several tributaries of the Catawba River and the North Fork of the Catawba River in McDowell County, North Carolina. The species has been reported in Burke County in the Linville River gorge, but has yet to have been relocated. S. galacifolia var. galacifolia inhabits the same habitat type as variation brevistyla, but Rhododendrom minus is also an associate rhododendron species. Galacifolia is found at elevations ranging from 200 to 650 meters in the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia locations (Weakley 2002). Dispute exists on whether Georgia's Rabun County colony is either naturally occurring or was planted when the site was inhabited by the previous owner. The Rabun County location occurs along a steep slope and rock outcrop along an overgrown trail leading to a large waterfall located downslope of the colony.

Range:

Oconee bells is endemic to a small part of the southern Appalachian Mountains. The species has lost populations in the past due to horticultural collection, and multiple dam construction projects; the long-looked-for type locality is now located under the waters of Lake Jocassee in South Carolina. Despite the species' very local distribution, the species is abundant at most of its few remaining sites (NatureServe, 2003). Shortia galacifolia var. brevistyla is restricted to McDowell County, North Carolina while S. galacifolia var. galacifolia is found in Transylvania and Jackson counties, North Carolina, Oconee and Pickens counties, South Carolina, and Rabun County, Georgia. Various outlying populations in Swain and Macon counties, North Carolina; Amherst County, Virginia; and Blount, Monroe, and McMinn counties Tennessee are not considered to be native (Weakley 2002). The above Oconee bells images were taken at an Oconee County, South Carolina colony while the leaf close-up image and the Shortia/Galax leaf comparison image were taken at the Rabun County, Georgia location.