Campanula - Bellflower
Campanula | Bellflowers - great low-growing ground cover or 3 foot tall upright flower stalks with profuse blossoms a summer long.
| Campanula | Perennial |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Throughout Summer |
| Light | Full Sun - Light Shade |
| Water | Well Drained Soil |
| Diseases | Crown rot, leaf spot, Root rot, Rust |
| Pests | Aphids, Slugs, Thrips |
| Propagation | Division and Seed |
| Color | Blue, White, Pink, Violet |
| Zones | 3-8 |
- Campanula isophylla ‘Camp Bulewhit' Striking flowers in a violet-blue hue open to reveal a star shape and white centers. Plants form neat mounds, covered with the stunning two-tone blooms. At 12'' tall with a spread of 15'', they are ideal for adding pizzazz to borders.
The Bellflower's showy flower clusters are striking massed at garden's edge or used as a prominent flower in the classic cottage garden setting.
Flowers can be tube-shaped, bell-shaped or star-shaped and come in a wide variety of colors.
Cultivars can be low, ground-hugging groundcover's or awesome upright clumps.
A beautiful small-scale ground cover, especially when combined with soft pink flowers, Siberian iris or leopard's bane.
Trim faded flowers for a neater appearance and extended bloom..
Tall types look like something straight out of a fairy tale garden, while ground-hugging types are good in rock gardens, more formal gardens, and many other situations.
Most are perennial, but a notable exception is Canterbury bells, a stately biennial (it takes two years to bloom). Flowers come in blue, purple, white or pink.
Since Bellflowers are often considered a biennial, be sure to seed every year to assured a steady bloom of flowers.
Division of clumps can be in early spring.
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Campanula 'carpatica'
A profusion of flowers covers this low-growing perennial. Multiplies rapidly. Ideal for edging a sunny border. Space 12" apart. Reaches heights of 8-12" tall.
I love to use Bellflowers in the cottage garden. The bright purple , pink and white blooms are long lasting and a foundation plant you can build around.
The will tolerate light shade, but really prefer full sun. After planting them in an area that received light shade, if found that in a few years they just died off or decided not to return.
Foxglove
Foxglove pairs wonderfully with tall forms of bellflower in dappled shade. Spring spires of bloom pair to create a dramatic combination.
Phlox
Garden phlox makes a lovely backdrop for bellflowers. Surround it with low-growing and mid-height bellflowers to create a combination that will be in bloom nearly all summer long.
Juniper's Beard
The pure pink of red valerian looks stunning with any of the colors available in bellflowers. Its long season of bloom ensures constant color.
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Campanula persicifolia 'La Belle' This delightful new bellflower has deep blue, bell-shaped flowers that are held high on upright stems from early through late summer. The flowers are very long lasting when cut for bouquets. Evergreen leaves are dark green. Easy to grow! Plant in full to partial sun 12-18" apart. Grows to 24" high.
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Blue Canterbury bells (Campanula medium 'Caerulea') is an old-fashioned cottage-garden biennial that sends up towering spikes of clear blue flowers. Zones 5-8.
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Campanula raddeana Campanula raddeana grows 1 foot tall and produces 1-inch-diameter bell-shaped flowers in midsummer. Zones 5-8.
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Clustered bellflower (Campanula glomerata) sports tight clusters of purple blooms on 2-foot-tall stalks in early summer. It quickly spreads to form a large mat. Zones 3-8.
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Elizabeth hybrid bellflower (Campanula 'Elizabeth'), sometimes called Korean bellflower (Campanula takesimana), is an upright clump-former that grows 2 feet tall. It produces drooping, pale pink flowers in summer. Zones 5-8.
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Peach-leaf bellflower (Campanula percisifolia) grows a foot tall and wide with fine foliage. In early summer it sends up wiry stems with violet, blue-violet, pink or white flowers. Zones 3-8.
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Campanula 'portenschlagiana'
Old-fashioned favorite for mixed borders, beds and cottage gardens! Long, showy spikes of pink bell shaped blooms cover the 3-4' plants from late spring to early summer. Plant 18-24" apart in full sun to partial shade. #1 field-grown plants. Zones 3-8.
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Pearl Light Blue Carpathian bellflower (Campanula carpatica 'Pearl Light Blue') has 2-inch-wide, cup-shaped flowers that are light blue with a white center. It reblooms all summer if deadheaded regularly. Zones 4-7.
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Sarastro bellflower (Campanula 'Sarastro') is completely covered in long, bell-shaped, deep purple flowers on 18-inch-tall stems in early summer. It reblooms throughout the summer if faded flowers stalks are removed. It spreads to form a large clump. Zones 4-8.
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Serbian bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana) grows 4 to 8 inches tall and produces flaring lilac-blue flowers in late spring and early summer. It's perfect for growing in walls or between flagstones. Zones 4-7.
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White Canterbury bells (Campanula medium 'Alba') is a biennial that produces dramatic 3-foot-tall white flower spires. Zones 5-8.
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White peach-leaf bellflower (Campanula persicifolia 'Alba') bears pure white flowers in summer. It grows 3 feet tall and wide. Zones 3-8
- Campanula medium ‘Calycanthema Pink’
Old-fashioned favorite for mixed borders, beds and cottage gardens! Long, showy spikes of pink bell shaped blooms cover the 3-4' plants from late spring to early summer. Plant 18-24" apart in full sun to partial shade. #1 field-grown plants. Zones 3-8. Campanula medium
Spacing: Space 12 - 18" apart when planting
Fertilizer: Use Osmocote Fertilizer and spread over surface of the ground once every 6 months. Use about 1/2 to 1 small handful, depending on size of plants.
Water Requirements: Water weekly during dry periods..
