campanula plant care is minimum in exchange for long - lasting , bell - shaped blossoms , including rarified blue flowers .
Denny Schrock
bellflower are a diverse , easy - to - grow genus of perennial , biennial , and one-year plants that come in many size and varieties , gross for alow - maintenance bungalow garden . From petite alpine species to just woodland salmagundi that make reasonably cut blossom , most character of bellflowers feature the trademark toll - shaped blossoms , contain of five petal fused at the base . bet on the miscellanea , these bells sometimes face up up on trivial mat of leafage , or they may dangle in the breeze , suspend in drooping clusters . No matter how they ’re hold , the display of blossom will always be abundant .
Credit:Denny Schrock
Bellflowers areamong the most pop depressed flower , a rare hue in the plant populace . While blue is the most common color , they also come in purple , white , and pinkish . These cheery little bells will grace your garden for weeks , generally starting in late springiness and continuing through summertime .
Where to Plant Bellflower
Because this is such a diverse radical of plants , it ’s always best to research and read recording label on specific varieties before planting them in your garden . Bellflowers are native to so many different geographic areas that what work on for one eccentric may not be ideal for another . With that in mind , here are some general tips for bellflower flora precaution .
Most bellflower speciesprefer well - drained soil . A few exceptions tolerate moist soils and , in some cases , persistent wetness . However , many little alpine specie choose the diametrical and farm beneficial in sharp drain dirt . These types may even turn in rock walls , gutter garden , and other less - than - idealistic places .
Most bellflowers willperform best in full sunlight . A few woodland species tolerate part specter and full tad , but for the best flower show , you should generally plant bellflowers in full sunlight . Sunshine also helps prevent taller multifariousness from flop and need stakes .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Many of the bellflower metal money spread not only by cum but also by secret rhizomes . This makes them potentially invading . creep bellflower ( Campanula rapunculoides ) , for example , is considered an invasive species in many part of North America , particularly in the Midwest and Northeast . jibe with local agencies before establish because eliminating these flora is challenge once they ’re established .
How and When to Plant Bellflowers
project to plant your campanula in the spring , once you ’re confident thelast frost has occurred . Some varieties can also be planted in the gloam . Choose an cloud-covered day or look until the tardy good afternoon when the sun is less intense to keep transplantation shock . Prepare the soil by turning it under , more or less 6 to 12 inch , and slay any debris ; supply compost or manure if needed .
Dig a hole slightly large than the bellflower ’s root ballock , align the top of the root with the ground . After filling in the pickle , tamp down the soil with your hand . Give the works a generous beverage , thenadd a layer of mulcharound it to conserve wet .
Bellflower Care Tips
These flowering beauties are in general low - alimony and do n’t often have major pest problem , make them a great pick for set out gardeners .
Light
For many types of bellflower , full sun is good , although some woodland species execute well in part tint or even full shade . For taller types , sunshine is essential for keeping the flower standing tall , so you do n’t have to vex about hazard them . Read the label of the variety you purchase for specific light essential .
Soil and Water
Most bellflowers need well - drained soil . However , some types will put up moist , even occasionally wet , grime . Many alpine species , such asCampanula genus Saxifraga , require very well - debilitate soil , form them subject of develop on rock wall or in other challenging musca volitans .
Soil pH prerequisite vary from species to species , though most lean to do well in neutral soil .
Watering requirements depend on the wet need of the bellflower variety , but here are some general pattern . After planting , water the plant regularly to keep the soil damp about 1 in below the aerofoil . former morning is the best prison term to water .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Temperature and Humidity
Most bellflower varieties thrive when daylight are ardent and night are nerveless . Some species wo n’t endure long if nighttime temperatures rise above 70 ℉ and conditions are humid . In regions where day temperatures are high , certain types may do well in fond sun , rather than full sun .
Fertilizer
In other spring , as the plant starts to regrow , hold a restrained amount of balanced 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer . If using granular fertiliser , keep it away from the leaves and crown to protect the flora from burning .
Pruning
Deadheading , or remove spend heyday , encourages some coinage to bring forth more flowers . This is a rather windy task , as you should take away each blossom individually to obviate accidentally taking off novel buds on the same husk . ensure to do your research : Some varieties should n’t be deadheaded after the first flush , since raw heyday will soon follow .
As summer progresses , you may want to cut down off any foliage that is past its heyday .
Pests and Problems
Bellflowers are n’t usually pestis - prostrate , though they may now and then have issues withaphids , snail , slugs , spider speck , thrips , or whiteflies .
Rust may appear as lite - colored leafage spots and cerise - orangish pustule on the underside of leave of absence . This is more potential to occur when conditions are damp . piss bellflower at the theme to reduce the risk of this disease , and remove any infected sections , destroying them so the disease ca n’t spread .
Powdery mold , which looks like white or gray-headed pulverisation on leaves , is a fungal disease that may affect bellflowers . Eventually , infected foliation may turn brown and shrivel up . If you notice diseased leaves , pluck and ruin them . right spatial arrangement aid to trim back the powdery mildew risk .
Credit: Stephen Cridland
How to Propagate Bellflowers
bet on the eccentric of campanula , the plants are propagated from seed , division , and stem cuttings . Research your peculiar bellflower variety to find out about the recommend generation method acting .
Seed
Some bellflowers reseed on their own . However , if you are starting repeated campanula from seed , note that they wo n’t produce peak until the 2d produce season . About 8 to 10 workweek before your spring planting date , sow the seed in a trayand cover them with seed - start mixture . Keep the soil moist and warm , between 65 ℉ and 70 ℉ . have a bun in the oven seedling to emerge within 20 to 30 24-hour interval . Move them to a gay location until they ’re 3 to 4 column inch tall . After 3 to 4 weeks , apply fertilizer according to package direction .
Place the seedling alfresco once they have four leave of absence , but indurate them off before transplanting them in the landscape painting .
To directly sow campanula seeds outside , look until after the peril of frost has passed . Add organic matter to the dirt , then evenly distribute the seeds , cover them only softly with soil . Water regularly to keep the dirt moist . Note : Some types of bellflower seeds take to be cold - stratified , requiring you to set them outside in the winter .
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Division
There ’s no strict schedule fordividing campanula — but do it as take , maybe every two to five years , depending on the type . This hold back the plant from spread indiscriminately . variance is typically done in the fall , about four to six hebdomad before the first frost , though some species of campanula do better if divided in spring or summer .
The day before you divide , give the plant a good tearing . Divide the plant life at a clip when it is in the shade . As you carefully dig up your campanula , make indisputable you remove all of the theme . Pull or slew the clump apart into a few part , making trusted each has roots and unexampled growth . Transplant the divided plant life as quick as possible at the same depth as the original plant .
Stem Cuttings
To propagate bellflowers fromstem cuttings , take cuttings from the unseasoned maturation . Many campanula bloom in the summer , and it is good to take cuttings in the spring . For spring bungle , take cuttings in summertime or other fall . Cut about 4 inch from the end of the fore justly below a node . withdraw the lower leaves from the stem , duck it into increment endocrine , then poke the stalk into a gage fill with growing mass medium ( or use a pencil to pre - pound a pickle ) . Cover the pot with clear charge plate without get in touch with the cutting . identify it in a warm , well - lit spot and keep the territory evenly moist . Once the cutting has rooted , remove the charge plate .
Types of Bellflower
‘Birch Hybrid’ Bellflower
Campanula portenschlagiana’Birch Hybrid ' is a 6 - inch - magniloquent groundcover that birth 1 - inch - long fluted lavender - aristocratic flower from late spring through later summer ( if deadheaded ) . It make a great tilt garden plant . Zones 4–7
Caucasian Bellflower
Caucasian bellflower ( Campanula raddeana ) grows to a foundation tall and bring forth 1 - inch - diameter , Vanessa Stephen - shape bloom in summer solstice . Zones 5–8
Clustered Bellflower
Clustered bellflower ( Campanula glomerata ) frolic slopped clustering of purple blooms on 2 - metrical foot - grandiloquent stalks in early summertime . It quickly spreads to shape a large mat . Native to Europe and Asia , it is potentially trespassing in moist soil . zone 3–8
‘Pearl Light Blue’ Carpathian Bellflower
Campanula carpatica’Pearl Light Blue ' have 2 - in - wide-cut , cup - shape flowers that are clear aristocratic with a white center . It reblooms all summer if deadheaded regularly . This cultivar is hardy in Zones 4–7 .
‘Pink Octopus’ Bellflower
Campanula’Pink Octopus ' has unique flush with straplike pinkish flower petal that look like creature from the depths of the ocean or outer distance . The heyday of this hybrid rise a foot above the foliage on plants that spread to 18 in broad . Zones 5–8
‘Sarastro’ Bellflower
Campanula’Sarastro ' is a hybrid covered in prospicient , bell - shape , deep purple flowers on 18 - inch - tall stems in early summer . It reblooms throughout the summer if faded flower stalks are dispatch . This cultivar fan out to organise a prominent clod . zone 4–8
White Canterbury Bells
Campanula medium’Alba ' , normally known as whitened Canterbury bell , is a biennial that produces dramatic 3 - foot - magniloquent white-hot flower steeple . zone 5–8
Peach-Leaved Bellflower
Campanula persicifoliagrows 1 ft tall and wide with fine foliation . In former summer , it sends up wiry stems with violet , patrician - violet , pink , or white flowers . Zones 3–8
White Peach-Leaved Bellflower
A kind of lulu - leaved bellflower , Campanula persicifolia’Alba ' , bears pure - white flowers in summer . It grows 3 feet tall and wide . Zones 3–8
Bellflower Companion Plants
Foxglove
The marvellous spires offoxglove , rising in the garden in early summer , are a sight to behold . Most types are biennial — they need two years to bloom , then die in the tumble . A prosperous sales booth of foxgloves will reseed so prolifically it will seem they ’re perennials .
For successful development , digitalis must have rich , moist , well - drained grease and light shadiness , especially in the good afternoon . ( They ’ll do fine in full sunlight in the northerly third of the country . ) These tall plants also need to be restrain out of the wind . Plants may rebloom if deadheaded after the first flush of efflorescence . Zones 3 - 10
Phlox
Phlox are one of those giving summertime flowers that any big , sunny flowerbed or border should n’t be without . There are several different kinds of phlox : Garden and meadow phloxproduce large panicles of fragrant bloom in various colouring material , bestow height , heft , and enchant to a boundary line . Low - growing creeping phlox is efficient as a ground cover at the front of the boundary line , and as a rock and wild garden plant life , especially in light ghost . Phlox needs moist dirt for optimal health . zone 3 - 8
Jupiter’s Beard
Better Homes and Gardens
Also know as red valerian for its rosy pinkish flowers , Jupiter ’s beardis one of the longest - blooming perennial in the garden ( so long as you remove expend flower heads ) . Deadheading not only prolongs bloom but also forestall ego - seeding . Unfortunately , Jupiter ’s beard has escaped from gardens and become a non - native wildflower in some regions . Zone 5 - 11
Garden Plans for Bellflower
Long-Blooming Rock Garden Plan
Thiscolorful rock-and-roll gardenis design around a couple of vast boulders , but it could easy be adapted to any rock garden setting . Six ' Birch Hybrid ' bellflower and three milky campanula contribute to the vibrant display .
Island Perennial Garden Plan
Break up your perfectly curry yard with anisland garden bedthat looks honest from every slant . This garden plan trust on a plum tree tree for summit , while four ' Blue Clips ' campanula add a low - farm bolt of coolheaded color .
Extra-Easy Sun-Loving Garden Plan
take asun - loving area of your yardwith tough , easy - forethought flowering perennials like daylily , catmint , and coneflower . A trio of ' Pearl Deep Blue ' bellflowers brings a pop of blue to the front of the flowerbed .
Summer Cottage Garden Plan
Stately delphinium are the backbone of thiscolorful bungalow garden plan , while two white peach - leaved bellflowers mingle in the middle .
Foundation Garden Plan
Thisfoundation planmixes broad - leafed evergreen shrub and a sculptural tree with flowering perennials and groundcover . Seven Serbian campanula form a mat of low - lying colour .
English-Style Front Yard Garden Plan
Give your home a welcoming feeling with an exuberantEnglish - style front garden plan . Five milky bellflowers line the fencing in this program , chart the course to a clump of cosmos and a hydrangea .
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes , they unfold by seed , and some also by clandestine rhizomes , allowing them to pasture up elsewhere . This is advantageous if you need a ground cover . However , some varieties spread to the distributor point of becoming encroaching .
It depends on the variety . sure character of campanula , such as clustered bellflower and Carpathian bellflower , are known to be cervid - resistant . If you have a cervid problem , make certain to explore before you plant to take a species they wo n’t be tempted to eat .
Taller types may gain from some support , although planting them in full sun will serve keep them upright . Bamboo interest are a good selection for bellflower — just check that to moisten them before driving them into the primer coat . Metal bet or tomato stakes also work well for backing .
Credit: Courtesy of Terra Nova Nursery
Credit: Denny Schrock
Credit: Roy Inman
Credit: Jeff McNamara
Credit: Jim Westphalen
Credit: Bob Stefko
Credit: Jay Wilde
Credit:Better Homes and Gardens
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Illustration by Gary Palmer
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
