Are you looking for some cute small flowers to decorate your garden in early summer? Look no further than Bellflowers!
Campanula, commonly known as Bellflower, is a colorful perennial that can add cheer to any garden border it is grown in. Bellflowers are best known for their charming blooms and long flowering displays. They are a very common choice among gardeners for colorful beds and borders in cottage gardens and rock gardens, where they have a fantastic effect.
Campanula is a huge genus, including over 300 species, of which most are perennials. Yet, some are annuals and biennials. Some Bellflower species are perfect for edging or in rock gardens as they are either creeping or mat-forming. Others look best in borders or can make fantastic cut flowers.
Most Bellflower varieties, particularly the blue ones, attract hummingbirds. Bellflowers are pretty easy to grow, and there are a few ideal growing conditions you should know in order to help your Campanulas thrive.
Ready to learn more on how to grow and care for Bellflower? Keep reading our article!
About Bellflowers
- The species in the Campanula genus are distributed across several temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Most species are native to the Mediterranean region east to the Caucasus. Some species are also native to mountains in the tropical regions of Asia and Africa.
- The botanical name of Bellflower is Campanula. Other common names for this flower are Canterbury Bells, Harenbells, Cups and Saucers, Clustered Bellflowers, Carpathian Bellflowers, and Serbian Bellflowers.
- Another interesting name associated with Campanulas is “Venus Looking Glass”. There is a myth associated with this name according to which Venus owned a mirror that she used to see beautiful things. When the mirror got lost, Venus sent cupid to find it. Accidentally, Cupid dropped the mirror which shattered on the ground. The shards then turned into beautiful Campanula flowers.
- Campanula flowers make perfect gifts for loved ones as they symbolize gratitude, affection, and everlasting love. They are also associated with humility and delicacy.
- Campanula Portenschlagiana also known as Trailing Bellflower or Wall Bellflower has edible leaves and flowers with a mild taste that can be used as a garnish, in salads, and to decorate desserts.
- There are many Bellflower cultivars available on the market and you can easily find the perfect ones for various garden styles and purposes. Taller species of Campanula are perfect for borders and can also be used as cut flowers.
- Most popular Campanula species include Campanula Rotundifolia, Campanula Portenschlagiana, Campanula Glomerata, Campanula Latifolia, Campanula Persicifolia, and Campanula Lactiflora.
- Trailing Bellflower and Adria Bellflower are two very similar cultivars. Most gardeners find it difficult to know which is which. Luckily you don’t have to worry about that because these two Campanulas are almost identical in terms of needs and properties.
- Although Bellflowers prefer cool summer climates and don’t tolerate extreme heat very well, they are sun-loving plants. Bellflowers need full sun or partial shade to produce plenty of blooms.
- During the wintertime, Bellflowers are dormant. If you grow your Campanulas in containers, move them to a bright but cool place to reinforce their dormancy. Keep in mind that the dormancy period is extremely important for these plants. They only bloom in summer if they have a successful dormancy period.
- In terms of soil, Bellflower isn’t very particular about the pH range. This flower can also adapt to highly acidic soil conditions. Yet, it needs average to medium moisture and well-drained soil.
- With this plant, watering is only moderate. Watering your Bellflowers once a week should be enough. However, if the temperatures in your area get really hot in the summer, feel free to water your flowers daily in the evening.
- Bellflowers prefer cooler areas, and they are cold-hardy. The ideal temperature for these flowers is around 65°F (18 °C).
Bellflowers Features: An Overview
- Campanula is a large genus that includes over 300 species, ranging from stately and tall to mat-forming or creeping varieties.
- Bellflowers feature their characteristically bell-shaped blooms that grow on a tall spike, arising from a base of deep green colored foliage. Bellflowers can reach up to 3-5 inches (7-12 cm) tall and 1 inch (2,5 cm) wide.
- This flower can surprise you with its vast array of bloom colors, ranging from white, blue, pink, and purple. The blooms also have various shapes, including tubular, star, bell, cup, or saucer-shaped.
- Each individual bloom will last up to ten days. Bellflower blooms have a detectable sweet scent which combined with their beauty makes them popular garden ornamentals.
- Most Bellflower varieties are deer and rabbit resistant.
- Bellflowers are not known as toxic plants to either pets or people. So, it is safe to plant these lovely flowers wherever you like in your outdoor space.
Growing Bellflowers
Campanulas, commonly referred to as Bellflowers, are popular ornamentals in many European countries and in North America. Growing and caring for Bellflowers isn’t a difficult task. Yet, there are a few particular characteristics you should know about caring for these plants if you want them to grow healthy and happy.
First of all, consider this flower’s light preference. Bellflowers are sun-loving and need to be kept in full sun ideally. Sunlight exposure impacts how many blooms they produce. However, they can also adapt to partial shade, which is recommended in very hot summers.
To help your Bellflowers grow happy and healthy, you can provide them with some extra nutrients using a general plant fertilizer. We recommend diluting the solution by half to prevent burning the roots of the plants. Supplementing your soil with a fertilizer high in potassium can also prolong your flowers’ blooms.
Pruning is another essential step to keeping your Bellflowers healthy and thriving. Make sure to remove yellow and dying leaves to encourage new growth. When pruning your Bellflowers, it is important to use clean and sterile tools to reduce the risk of bacterial and fungal diseases. Remove any part of the plant that looks sick to prevent the spread of diseases.
- Compact and Showy - Tussock Bellflower, a compact perennial plant with a rounded habit, blooms with stunning purple or blue flowers on upright stalks. The drought-resistant plants are great for rock gardens, border fronts, edgings or ground covers, and can also be grown in containers.
- Beautiful Bell Blooms - Known for their beautiful bell-shaped flowers that bloom in abundance from late spring to early summer. They're excellent for attracting butterfly, bee, bird, and other pollinator types and can be used as cut flowers.
- Sustainable Living - Growing Tussock Bellflower is a perennial flower that will return year after year, providing long-lasting beauty and reducing the need for yearly replanting. Cut back tussock bellflower to encourage a second bloom in autumn, and divide every 5 years.
- The Info You Need to Grow - These non-perishable seeds are packed in a beautiful paper packet with instructions for successful growing and germination in your home garden. Each package also has instructions for saving seeds after harvest. Getting started is simple for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
- Small American Family-Owned Business - We’re committed to always providing fresh, high-quality seeds for you to plant now or to store for future growing seasons. We pledge to sell only safe, non-hybrid non-GMO heirloom seeds that are always open-pollinated, untreated, and tested to ensure the best germination rates. They will remain viable for years if stored properly in a cool dry location.
- Cold-hardy and versatile: Bellflower plants are resilient in harsh winter conditions, making them suitable for various climates and environments.
- Adaptable growth: They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, with the ability to tolerate periods of drought once established, providing low-maintenance gardening options.
- Propagation options: Campanula can be grown from seeds or rhizomes, offering flexibility in propagation methods for gardeners.
- Cheerful blooms: The bell-shaped flowers add a cheerful touch to gardens with their nodding heads, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of outdoor spaces
- Ease of care: With moderate moisture requirements and straightforward planting techniques, bellflowers are relatively easy to care for, making them accessible to novice and experienced gardeners alike.
- The bell-shaped flowers inspire the common name, bellflower, as well as the scientific name Campanula, Latin for 'little bell'.
- With their happy nodding heads, Campanula, or bellflower plants, are cheery perennial flowers.
- They are cold-hardy plants that are useful specimens in areas with hard winters. They require full sun for best flower production and well-drained soil with moderate moisture. Once established, bellflower plants can tolerate periods of drought.
- Campanula can grow from seeds or from rhizomes. The tiny seeds should go in prepared soil in spring after all danger of frost has passed.
- Make sure to keep seedlings moderately moist when caring for bellflowers. To plant rhizomes, sever them from the parent plant at a root node and bury the roots in the soil.
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Planting Bellflowers
Planting Bellflower is not a difficult task. As long as you consider this plant’s ideal growing conditions when choosing its location and preparing its soil, you’ll have thriving Bellflower plants in your garden. Dwarf Campanulas can also be grown in containers, so you don’t need a garden to grow these amazing plants.
When planting Campanulas, it’s important to know that the ideal time to plant these flowers is in early spring after the risk of frost has passed.
Next, consider the plant’s lighting needs. As mentioned above, Bellflower prefers to grow in full sun in areas with cooler temperatures. However, in areas with hotter climates, it is best to choose a place where they get partial sun in the evenings.
Remember that the ideal average temperature for these plants is 65°F (18 °C). So, it’s best for them to sit in the shade if the summers are extremely hot in your area. Depending on the climate in your area, choose a location with either full sun or partial shade.
It is also recommended to keep this plant’s soil preference in mind. More precisely, while Campanula isn’t very particular about the pH range, it does require well-draining soil to prevent root rot. When planting Bellflower, make sure to mix your garden soil with perlite, vermiculite, coco peat or coarse sand. This will improve drainage and allow excess water to pass.
So, now that you’re ready to plant your Campanula flowers, you might be wondering what their ideal companion plants are. Most gardeners prefer to plant Campanulas alongside Lamb’s Ear, Columbines, Roses, Lady’s Mantle, Alliums, Sage, Kniphofia, and Primulas.
Watering Bellflowers
Improper watering will quickly make your Campanulas unhappy, whether that means under or overwatering your plants.
Once established, Bellflowers are drought-resistant, meaning that they can survive short periods of drought. However, the ideal soil conditions for these plants consist of an average, medium moisture soil. So, don’t leave your Campanulas unwatered for too long. Drooping leaves can be a sign that your plants are underwatered. If you notice this happening, shorten the length of time between waterings.
Overwatering can cause problems to your Bellflower plants as well. More precisely, overwatering can lead to root rot, which can be a severe problem that can kill your plant. In other words, it is better to underwater your plant than to overwater it.
If you’re not sure how often you should water your Bellflowers, you can use the “soak and dry” watering method. Water your plants and wait for the top few inches to dry out between waterings.
Propagating Bellflowers
If you want more of these fantastic flowers in your outdoor space, know that you have multiple ways to propagate your Bellflower plants. Campanula can be propagated via seed, basal cuttings, and division.
To propagate your Bellflowers using basal cuttings use soft wooded base parts of the plant that haven’t flowered. The basal cuttings that you are going to use should be about 4 inches (10 cm) long. Before planting, make sure to remove the lower half of the leaves and dip the cuttings in a rooting hormone. And lastly, plant the cuttings in well-draining soil. Basal cuttings are also effective for propagating Chrysanthemums, Heleniums, Dahlias, Asters, and Delphiniums.
To propagate via division split the root ball into several sections in early spring. Make sure that the sections have at least 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter for a better chance of propagation. Next, place the sections in soil and water them regularly. When it comes to freshly planted Campanulas it is recommended to avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight and persistent droughts.
To propagate via seeds plant the Campanula seeds in spring after you’re sure that the risk of frost has passed. Water regularly to keep the seedlings moderately moist.
Bellflowers Pests and Diseases
Bellflowers are pretty sensitive plants. They can be threatened by a number of problems. Common pests and diseases associated with Bellflowers are root rot, leaf-spot disease, Botrytis, rust, powdery mildew, and aphids.
Slugs and snails can also be dangerous to your Bellflower plants’ well-being. While snails and slugs aren’t really a danger to humans, they can have a nasty effect on ornamental plants. Gardeners aren’t happy to find snails and slugs on their plants because these critters have quite an appetite and tend to eat large holes in your ornamentals’ leaves.
In addition to that, snails and slugs can also eat entire seedlings, which isn’t pleasant either. The good news is that you can prevent snails and slugs from munching on your Campanulas by planting the Trailing variety, which isn’t as attractive. It is also recommended to all cracks and crevices where snails tend to hide and to manually remove them whenever you notice them. Trappings and barriers are also effective.
All these problems have certain signs such as brown and soft leaves, yellow central leaves, sudden loss of older flowers, curled leaves, dried brown edges, or lack of flowers. If you notice anything weird about your Bellflowers, look those signs up and treat your plants immediately.
In Conclusion
Growing Bellflowers can be a very rewarding task. If you decide to add these amazing plants to your plant collection, your outdoor space will be filled with lovely colors and a sweet scent. In addition to being attractive ornamentals, Bellflowers will also fill your garden with beneficial pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Plus, some Campanula varieties are excellent cut flowers and some have edible flowers and leaves. So, it is safe to say that Campanulas have many different uses and make perfect additions to any garden.
While Bellflowers can be a little bit particular with their ideal growing conditions, once you get used to their needs, it’s going to be easy to keep them healthy and happy. Pay attention to any sign of disease or pest infestation, and make sure you don’t overwater your Bellflowers.
Are you growing Campanulas in your garden? Share your experience in the comment section!
