The common name for campanula is bellflower, and both names are as pretty as the flowers.
There are many species of this plant, and their colors can be white, pink, mauve, lavender, deep purple, as well as blue. They’re strong growers but vary in size, shape, and habit.
Campanula rotundifolia is the much-loved bluebell. I have Campanula ‘Joan Elliot’ in my garden and her dark purple blooms charm me, but she does like to spread.
Companula latifolia with the common name of great bellflower is also a fast-spreading species with clusters of white, violet, or lilac blue flowers in summer in zones 3-7, and Campanula persicafolia is the peach-leaved bellflower with racemes of blue or white open flowers grown in full or partial shade in summer.
There are about 250 species of these showy herbaceous plants and nearly all are perennial and native to temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. All do best in moderately rich soil that is moist and well drained in sun or shade.
A slow spreading low grower is Campanula carpatica which is an edging plant 8 to 12 inches tall that blooms from late spring through summer in zones 3-9. Try its blue clips, white clips, or Wedgewood blue varieties.
This is Moya Andrews, and today we focused on campanulas.
