Bluebells are herbaceous plants whose flowers resemble bells. They can often be found in forests. Cultivated species are grown in the garden. Perennial bushes are easily propagated by dividing the rhizomes, but if there is nowhere to get your favorite plant, you can purchase seeds and grow seedlings.
Let's look at how to do this correctly.
Sowing bell seeds and growing seedlings, photo of the process for beginners
If you come across bluebell seeds in the fall, you can simply sow them in the ground before winter. They do not require special preparation; seedlings will appear in the spring. But the likelihood that small seeds will simply be drawn deep into the soil and will not sprout is very high. It's better to wait a little and grow seedlings.
In the first ten days of March they begin to work on seedlings. To do this, prepare the soil in advance. Use a loose, permeable substrate; suitable soil for flower seedlings. Also prepare a bowl; it should not be too big.
Step-by-step instruction for growing bells from seeds:
1. Fill the container with soil, compact it lightly, and moisten it well with a spray bottle. Leave overnight so that the moisture is well absorbed.
2. Distribute the seeds evenly over the surface, do not crush them with earth. Spray from a spray bottle. Cover the crops with film.
To germinate, bells need a temperature of +20 °C. The bowls are removed to a bright place. Shoots will appear in 2-3 weeks.
Caring for bluebell seedlings
Like any flower crop, the bell needs care. Tender sprouts are very fragile and can bend from drops of water, so water the plants in a tray or along the walls of a bowl. You can use spot watering, that is, water from a syringe into the gaps between the seedlings.
The bell is demanding of soil moisture. The soil should be damp, but in moderation. If you overdo it, the seedlings will get blackleg.
They grow seedlings in an eastern window so that they have enough light. In the room, bowls are placed only with artificial lighting; without this, the seedlings stretch out. If the seedlings on the windows are stretched out, but their leaves are green and healthy, you can use a little trick and cover them with earth. This must be done very carefully so that the sprouts do not die. For this purpose, use a fine sieve and loose soil. Through a strainer, the soil is evenly distributed over the seedlings; after watering, it will fall on its own as needed. This method is used when growing seedlings from small seeds, which makes the sprouts more stable. You can add soil as the seedlings grow.
Bells bloom in the phase of the first true leaves. You can simply thin out the seedlings, leaving 1 plant per 10 cm of area, or plant them in separate containers. Beginners are advised to sow more seeds than needed and simply thin out the seedlings.
The seedlings are fed two weeks after picking, when they are fully adapted. Liquid mineral fertilizer is used for flowering crops; its concentration is reduced so as not to burn tender seedlings.
Transplanting bells into the ground for further cultivation
Seedlings are transferred to unprotected soil on the first warm days, when the threat of night frosts has passed. But for this, plants are gradually accustomed to environment. Start hardening the seedlings after picking, open the windows for a short time, take them out into the air, and gradually increase the time. Before planting, leave the seedlings to ventilate overnight. When the seedlings are ready, they are transplanted.
The planting site is chosen according to all cultural requirements. In their natural environment, bluebells prefer sparse lighting. In the garden they can be planted under young trees whose crown is not too dense. It is better to protect the plant from direct sunlight and drafts.
The soil for the bells is prepared in advance. They dig it up, add humus and sand. Ideally, the result should be loose, well-drained soil. You can use small stones, pebbles, etc. for drainage.
Advice! Do not apply fresh manure or peat before planting. These fertilizers promote fungal diseases.
There are no special secrets in planting and growing bells. Seedlings are planted depending on the variety. Tall varieties need a larger feeding area, so up to 50 cm is left between them. Medium-growing varieties are planted at a distance of 25-30 cm, and 15 cm are left between low-growing varieties.
Caring for bells in open ground, replanting and crop diseases
Garden bells - pretty unpretentious plants. They can be grown by a beginner or a busy person who wants to decorate a flower bed. The bushes do not require special care; standard procedures are sufficient:
Water as needed;
Weeding;
Feeding.
It is worth mentioning that bells are rarely watered, only in hot weather. In normal summer and spring, natural soil moisture is sufficient for them. All that remains is to remove the weeds in a timely manner so that the plants are not affected by diseases and pests.
The herbaceous shrub is fed twice a season: in early spring and in the first half of summer. In spring, nitrogen fertilizers are used to obtain good green mass. During the formation of buds, the plant is fed with potassium fertilizers. No more feeding is done. The bell blooms for a long time, but in order for the plant to remain decorative, dry bells must be removed in a timely manner.
Bells need to be replanted and propagated once every 3-5 years, unless the description of the variety says otherwise. There are species that need rejuvenation every 2 years. Transplantation and division of rhizomes is done either in early spring or autumn. The bush is dug up, cut into several parts and immediately planted in a new place. The cuttings cannot be stored; their roots are too thin.
Bells are very disease resistant. They are rarely affected by pests. The only thing that can destroy a bush is pathogenic microflora that accumulates in the soil. Therefore, plants need to be replanted according to a schedule. Among the pests, bluebells are bothered by the slug, especially in rainy weather, loosen the soil more often, sprinkle the soil with ground red pepper or crushed shells. Slugs have a very vulnerable abdomen; they will not pass through such protection.
How a bell winters in the garden
As soon as the cold weather begins, the shoots of the plant need to be cut low. The herbaceous shrub tolerates frost well and can winter without shelter. But it is better to cover heat-loving varieties with dry leaves or spruce branches. In the northern regions, covering bushes is a necessary measure. It is best to mulch the bush with humus, a layer of at least 25 cm.
There are a lot of varieties of bells; they are grown to decorate gardens everywhere. Carefully study all the tips and recommendations to avoid mistakes and enjoy the long-awaited flowering.
The blue color of bell inflorescences can be considered one of characteristic features genus, they have it, and a number of ornamental crops, naturally colored in white, blue or purple tones, have blue cultivars.
Such common crops in floriculture as Carpathian and peach-leaved bells, having garden forms with flowers of a wide variety of tones and shades, are typical blue bells in nature. These also include a number of less common, but no less interesting and attractive natural species, used as garden and indoor plants. Descriptions and photos of blue bells that can be cultivated in the gardens of our country are given below:
Blue bell: photos and descriptions of varieties
Bluebell bearded (C. barbata), low-growing, 4-30 cm tall, plant, inhabitant of the subalpine zone of the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Goblet-bell-shaped drooping flowers up to 3 cm long are painted pale blue and collected in a wide paniculate or racemose inflorescence, appearing in June-July.
Bellflower (C. cochleariifolia), another compact, up to 10 cm high, European species, perennial with creeping stems, small rounded leaves and pale blue drooping flowers.
Bluebell perforated (C. fenestrellata), found in the Balkans and the Mediterranean, grows up to 30 cm. A perennial plant with long-petioled heart-shaped leaves and large, about 3 cm in diameter, star-shaped flowers, the corolla petals of which are strongly dissected. This blue bell blooms profusely and for a long time, from June to September.
The bell is brittle (C. fragilis), whose homeland is considered to be Italy, is a low-growing perennial with creeping shoots up to 30 cm long and small, ovate at the ends, or larger, heart-shaped leaves at the base.
With fused petals, blue with a light center, up to 3.5 cm in diameter, blooming at the ends of the stems singly or in pairs. As you can see in the photo, the blue bell of this species is very popular in indoor floriculture as an hanging crop.
Campanula pyramidal (C. pyramidalis), a tall, up to 1.5 m, perennial plant whose smooth, hairless stem bears green, jagged edge leaves and pyramidal inflorescences of pale blue flowers that bloom in June-July.
Bell Parry (C. parryi) is a North American species that grows in the western United States in subalpine and alpine meadows. An easy to cultivate plant that grows through thin creeping rhizomes. It forms dense tufts of leaves and stems about 15 cm high, on which blue, star-shaped, funnel-shaped flowers bloom.
Blue bell flowers and their popular varieties
Blue bells are also widespread; they are found not only among species plants, but also among numerous varieties of ornamental varieties, which naturally have flowers of other shades. Below are descriptions of the natural species of blue bell used in floriculture, as well as photos of some common crops.
Campanula garganica (C. garganica)– a shade-tolerant perennial with creeping or ascending shoots that form a compact bush, up to 15 cm tall. Blooms profusely, bright blue flowers star-shaped, with outstretched petals, up to 4 cm in diameter, appear in mid-summer.
Sarmatian bell (C. sarmatica)- a little-known, but very decorative Caucasian species. A perennial growing up to 40 cm, with drooping, pubescent stems and a rosette of gray-green, densely felted leaves.
The flowers are blue bells, collected in loose racemes, with a pleasant honey aroma. The culture is perfectly adapted to the conditions of the middle zone, can grow both in the sun and in partial shade, and overwinters without shelter. Blooms profusely all summer.
Campanula ciliata (C. ciliate var. tipica), another endemic to the Caucasus. A perennial with low (7-15 cm) single-flowered shoots and dense sessile rosettes of linear-lanceolate leaves, it blooms in June-July. Drought-resistant, highly decorative appearance.
Alpine bellflower (C. alpestris), a low-growing compact (5-10 cm) alpine perennial that forms rosettes of rough leaves and disproportionately large, up to 4.5 cm long, blue cylindrical flowers that bloom during the summer. In the middle climate zone it winters well, although it suffers from dampness. Requires well-drained sites.
Uemura's Bell (C. uyemurae) grows on Sakhalin. It is a perennial up to 15 cm tall with simple or weakly branching stems, elliptical leaves and dark blue flowers up to 3 cm in diameter, blooming at the ends of the shoots singly or in several pieces, collected in a corymbose inflorescence.
Blooms in mid-summer and requires a sunny location, well-drained soil and regular moisture.
Hillbell (C. collina)- a perennial species found in alpine and sub-alpine meadows of the Caucasus and mountainous regions of Western Asia. It grows up to 30 cm, has straight thin leafy stems, rosettes of basal petiolate oval serrated leaves and blue flowers collected in racemes up to 2 cm in diameter. Blooms in June-July and is winter hardy.
Campanula villosa (C. lasiocarpa), a representative of the Arctic alpine flora, living in Alaska, Canada, the north of the Far East, Japan, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. Compact perennial, growing up to 10-15 cm, forming loose clumps of straight stems and lanceolate serrated leaves. The flowers are large, funnel-shaped, up to 4 cm long, blooming at the ends of the shoots one at a time in June-July. An unpretentious crop for alpine hills and rocky gardens.
Among the bells, there are many biennials that need two years to fully develop: in the first year, the seeds germinate and form a rosette of leaves, and in the second year they bloom and set fruit. After this, as a rule, the plants die. Some biennials can continue to grow and bloom in subsequent years, but their decorative qualities are reduced. Therefore, every year in late spring early summer they are sown in the ground or in cold greenhouses to obtain seedlings, which are planted in a permanent place in the fall.
Bluebell bearded
(Campanula Barbata). Plant height is from 4 to 30 cm. Drooping flowers are collected in a wide raceme or paniculate inflorescence. The corolla is goblet-bell-shaped, slightly swollen below the middle, pale blue in color, 2.5-3 cm long. It blooms in June-July. Propagated by seeds. It grows well in slightly acidic soil in both sun and partial shade. Use: alpine slides, borders, mixborders.
Bluebell rough-haired
(Campanula cervicaria). Grows in forest lawns, meadows of Europe and Siberia.
Tall (70-100 cm), densely pubescent plant. The stem is straight, often simple, deeply furrowed, covered with hard white protruding hairs. The inflorescence is almost capitate at the top, whorled at the bottom. The flowers are sessile, rather small, 2-2.5 cm long. The corolla is bell-shaped, blue, divided into ovoid sharp lobes. Blooms in June-July. Use: single plantings, mixborders. Shade-tolerant.
Campanula spica
Bellflower (Campanula spicata) - grows in dry alpine meadows and rocky screes. In gardens it is grown as a biennial. It can grow up to 50 cm in height. All stems and leaves are covered with down. Prized for its elegance.
Among other meadow species, it also stands out for its long spike-shaped inflorescence, completely covered with bright purple small bells. Its peak flowering occurs in mid-summer.
Bluebell
(Campanula macrostachya). The stem is simple, straight, up to 70-120 cm in height, with longitudinal stripes, covered with leaves and crowned with a multi-flowered inflorescence. The stem and leaves are covered with hard bristly hairs. The root is simple, fusiform, as thick as a little finger, brownish or whitish. The leaves are sessile, oblong, crenate, obtuse, with prominent veins; the lower ones are broadly lanceolate, the upper ones are oblong-cordate, the uppermost ones are similar in shape to the stem ones, but smaller. The corolla is tubular, pale violet-blue, naked, twice as long as the calyx teeth, with bent, ovoid, pointed lobes. The flowers are collected in whorled bunches of 6-7 flowers. Blooms in June-July. Use: single and group plantings, mixborders.
Campanula lyre-shaped
(Campanula lyrata). The stems are straight, about 50-70 cm. The whole plant is covered with short, stiff hairs. Bluish-lilac tubular flowers, up to 2-3 cm long, are collected in a multi-flowered racemose inflorescence. Drought-resistant plant, does not need watering. Used in mixborders.
Campanula Moesian
(Campanula moesiaca). Very close to K. coarse-haired. It is slightly lower - 50-70 cm, and the color of the corolla is more varied - from almost white to pinkish-lilac. A pubescent plant with straight, thick stems. The leaves are dense, pubescent, lanceolate, with a short petiole, up to 10-15 cm long. The inflorescence is wide, consisting of a dense apical head and dense axillary flower bunches (up to 21 flowers). The corolla is tubular-funnel-shaped, light blue, up to 3 cm long, up to 1/3 divided into oblong-ovate lobes. Blooms in June-July. Use: group plantings, mixborders, rock gardens.
Campanula pyramidal
(Campanula pyramidalis). One of the most beautiful tall bells. This is a spectacular Mediterranean plant, up to 1.5 m high, with numerous white, blue or dark blue flowers, collected in large spike-shaped racemes. In our conditions it overwinters, but requires light shelter. Use: single and group plantings, mixborders, in pots.
Spreading bell
(Campanula patula). One of the most famous of all wild bells.
The stem is 50-70 cm tall, longitudinally striped, somewhat angular in cross-section, bare or rough pubescent, branched, with splayed, almost leafless branches. The basal leaves are obovate, petiolate, 3–6 cm long, crenate, glabrous; stems are few in number, lanceolate, sessile. The root is small, thin, whitish, branched. The flowers are collected in loose paniculate inflorescences, apical or axillary, with long pedicels, quite large, up to 3 cm long. the style is equal in length to the corolla, bluish, pubescent, with three stigmas; the capsule is straight, ovoid-cylindrical, with ten veins, glabrous or somewhat hairy, opening with three holes; The seeds are very small, slightly flattened, shiny.
Blooms from mid-May to late July. Easily propagated by self-sowing.
Bell Sartori
(Campanula sartorii). A heavily pubescent, low-growing plant with creeping stems 10-20 cm long. The lower leaves are very small, rounded, heart-shaped, bluish in color due to short white hairs. The flowers are numerous, small (up to 1.5 cm long), located in the axils of the stem leaves. The corolla is funnel-shaped, white or pink. During flowering, the style is noticeably longer than the corolla. Blooms in June-July. Use: rocky gardens.
Bluebell Siberian
(Campanula sibirica). The stem is straight, ribbed, branched, 20-70 cm high. The whole plant is covered with stiff hairs. The basal leaves are petiolate, oblong-spatulate. The flowers are numerous, rather small, 2-2.5 cm in diameter, collected in a racemose panicle, and fade towards the end of flowering. The corolla is narrowly bell-shaped, pink or bluish-lilac. Blooms in June-September. Gives abundant self-seeding. Propagated only by seeds. Use: mixborders.
Medium bell
(Campanula medium). Its natural habitat is Southwestern Europe and Asia.
It has an erect stem covered with stiff hairs, 50-100 cm tall. The basal leaves are large, obovate, the stem leaves are oblong or linear. The flowers are goblet-bell-ringed, blue, light blue, white or pink, simple or double, up to 7 cm long, collected in a pyramidal inflorescence.
Blooms from June to September. In August-September, fruits with small, gray-brown seeds ripen. It has numerous garden varieties and forms, differing in the color of the corolla, the degree of doubleness of the flowers and the dissection of the teeth of the overgrown, brightly colored calyx.
Campanula thyrsus
(Campanula thyrsoides). The name of the first species – “thyrsus-shaped” – was given because of the similarity of the elongated (length 50-70 cm) spike-shaped inflorescence with the “thyrsus” - rod. The flowers of the bell thyrsus are quite large, up to 2.5-3 cm, the corolla is funnel-shaped, pale yellow. In both species, the flowers are collected in an elongated spike-shaped inflorescence. The corolla of K. spicata, in contrast to K. thyrsiformes, is bright purple. They bloom in June-July. Need light shelter.
Formanek's bell
(Campanula formanekiana). A spectacular Mediterranean, silvery-pubescent plant up to 30-40 cm high, with very large bluish-lilac goblet-shaped flowers, collected in a racemose inflorescence and a long flowering period. Requires light shelter for the winter. Suitable for growing in containers. Used in rocky gardens.
Hofmann's bell
(Campanula hofmanii). A pubescent, highly branched compact plant 30-50 cm high with numerous large drooping white or cream flowers, up to 4 cm in diameter. It blooms in June-July. In winter it needs light shelter.
Use: single and group plantings, mixborders, relief areas (rock gardens).
Reproduction of biennial bells
Seeds are sown in open ground or in a cold greenhouse in late May - early June. Before sowing, the soil is watered properly, the rows are only outlined, no furrows are made. The seeds are lightly sprinkled with dry fine sand, covering material is pulled over the bed and the crops are shaded. In dry weather, they are often sprayed so that the superficial seedlings do not dry out, and are kept under covering material all the time. Shoots appear after 2 weeks. After another 2 - 3 weeks, they are planted at a distance of 10 - 15 cm. The plants are shaded until they are fully established, for about a week. Seedling care is normal. In August, the plants are planted in a permanent place. The distance between plants when planting is 30-35 cm. If these terms are observed, by autumn the plants have time to develop a good rosette of leaves, but do not form a flowering stem. Only in this case will they winter well. In dry weather, watering is required. The bell is especially sensitive to failure to meet deadlines for work. If the rosettes of basal leaves are underdeveloped, the plants may not bloom in the second year, but there is no need to throw them away - flowering will occur in the third year.
Most bells require covering with peat or dry leaves in a layer of 15-20 cm for the winter. Biennial bells are also propagated by cuttings. Growing young shoots are cut into cuttings in the spring of the second year.
In ancient books on gardening and floriculture pyramidal bell(Campanula pyramidalis) was called the “Girdle of Venus”. It comes from Southern Europe (Italy). In terms of beauty, abundance and duration of flowering, it probably has no equal not only among other perennial bells, but also among other beautifully flowering evergreens. Those who see this blooming blue wonder remain forever fascinated by the beauty and power of the magnificent plant. It's a pity that it is still rare among us. This is one of the few types of bellflower that is especially suitable for potted indoor culture.
The stem of adult specimens is fleshy at the base, dark brown, up to 5 cm thick. Its surface is covered with numerous dormant buds, resembling small peas. Lateral rosettes subsequently develop from these. The lower leaves are collected in a powerful rosette (40-50 cm in diameter). They are long-petiolate, finely serrated along the edges, wavy and pointed, up to 12 cm long, 5-7 cm wide.
In mid-summer - early autumn, a barely noticeable peduncle appears in the center of the rosette, which develops very quickly. By mid-September it already reaches 1.5 m. The flower stem continues to grow, simultaneously branching. The main and lateral peduncles are densely covered with pale blue bells with a lilac tint. They are five-petalled, large (up to 4.5 cm), with a delicate odor. Hundreds of flowers open at the same time.
Flowering begins in September and continues until February. Sometimes one plant develops several large rosettes ending in peduncles. Then the powerful bush, completely covered with flowers, is an unforgettable sight.
If you pinch the top of the peduncle (or cut off part of it), then many side shoots will soon form, on which more and more flowers continue to bloom one after another. Shortening the brush does not spoil the appearance of the plant.
Flowering thus extends until June and even November - that is, it continues continuously for 14 months! Moreover, it is very valuable that the bell blooms at the most “dead” winter time when there are very few flowering plants in the rooms.
Withered and dried corollas should be carefully removed without damaging the pedicels, as new buds appear at their base.
The pyramidal bell is a light-loving plant, so in the room it should be placed on the windowsill, or, if the specimen is large, on a low bench near the balcony door, since the fully developed peduncle reaches 2 m. After flowering is complete, I remove it.
Soon, dormant buds awaken on the stem, from which rosettes of young plants are formed. They are located in different places: at the top, in the middle and lower parts, at the very base - basal. Young shoots develop very quickly, at this time the plant is decorative even without flowers; it looks like a lush pyramid with many emerald green leaves. Winter time is most suitable for breeding. Young rosettes, separated from the mother plant, take root much faster than older, overgrown ones. I root them in damp sand under a glass cover (glass) or film on a light windowsill. After 2-3 weeks, roots form, then the rosettes are planted one at a time in small pots (5-7 cm) with a mixture of clay-turf, leaf soil, peat, humus and sand (2:2:2:3:1). It is useful to add Riga complete mineral fertilizer “B” (2-3 tablespoons per 1 bucket of mixture), horn shavings and a glass of dry crushed mullein.
As a rule, young rooted cuttings bloom in the 3-4th year.
Every year, in March-April, I replant the plants in the same soil mixture. For planting, I take pots of such a size that they can freely accommodate fleshy, parsley-like roots. In the summer I transfer fast-growing specimens into larger (3-4 cm wider) containers. If you plant it in a large pot that is disproportionate to the root system, the roots can quickly rot.
When transplanting and handling, you need to be careful and handle the plant carefully. Its roots and stem, although large, are very brittle. Their damage (even a completely imperceptible crack) can lead to rotting and death of the plant.
I keep rooted rosettes and transplanted specimens on a bright window, protecting them from direct sunlight.
In the warm season, it is useful to take the bell out into the garden or onto the balcony and bury the pot in the ground or sand. For good development, morning and evening sunlight is necessary, but from the action of midday rays, in order to avoid curling and yellowing of the leaves, the bell must be protected by shading with gauze or film.
In the summer I water it abundantly and regularly, systematically spraying it and washing the leaves.
I feed twice a week (I start 10-15 days after transplantation) with mullein (1:40) or bird droppings diluted to a light green color, alternating organic fertilizers with mineral ones (0.1% solution of Riga complete fertilizer “B” ). During flowering, I apply fertilizing in the same concentration every other day.
I keep rooted rosettes and transplanted plants in a cool place in winter - on the windowsill near the glass, moisten them moderately and not very often.
This bell is rarely affected by spider mites, but during flowering (especially if the plant is taken outside) scale insects appear on the fronds in large numbers. To prevent it from damaging the flowers, I use finely chopped orange peels, which I strengthen on a dry twig next to the flower brush. Volatile essential oils prevent the spread of this insect. After the plant has flowered, the scale insect disappears.
Sometimes settles in leaf axils mealybug, it must be cleaned off with a pointed stick, washed regularly and sprayed with cold water and a solution of potassium permanganate ( Pink colour). If you keep the bell clean and constantly monitor its development and condition, then pests will not appear.
E. N. MELNIK, Moscow
// "Floriculture" - 1977 - No. 9.
Among the people, the bell has always been loved, this is evidenced by the affectionate names that were given to it in different places: pichuzhnitsy, chebotki, zvonochki, chenille... And according to popular belief, bells ring only once a year - on the magical night before Ivan Kupala. Scientific name genus - "Campanula" - is based on lat. "campana", "bell", characterizing the shape of the flower.
The genus "Bellbell" includes about 300 species growing in countries with temperate climate. Under natural conditions it is found in the Caucasus, Siberia, Central and Western Asia, in Europe, and has some distribution in North America. On the territory of Russia and neighboring countries There are about 150 species, in the European part of Russia - up to 15. The habitats of bluebells are varied, they have access to meadows, forests, steppes, and they are also found in desert and rocky areas. Numerous and diverse species inhabit the subalpine and alpine mountain belts.
Perennial bell flowers differ somewhat in shape and are often inferior in growth to annual ones. Bells bloom in June-July, and flowering of perennial varieties can last until September. With timely removal of fading inflorescences, flowering is abundant.
Types of bell:
The flowers are large, located one at a time in the axils of the upper leaves, forming a narrow, almost spicate raceme of rare flowers. The calyx is large, pear-shaped, blackish-green, glabrous, with long-pointed teeth. The corolla is up to 6 cm long, blue, blue or almost white, funnel-shaped, bearded inside with long soft hairs, shallowly divided into sharp, somewhat bent lobes. The capsule is three-hole, ovoid, drooping; the seeds are ovoid, flattened, pale yellow. Broadleaf bellflower blooms in June - August, and the fruits ripen in the second half of August.
There are also different varieties of broadleaf bellflower. The most common varieties:
- "Alba" - white flowers;
- "Brantwood" - purple flowers;
- "Makranta" - the flowers are large, dark purple.
Bluebell broadleaf prefers shady areas with moist and rich soils. It reproduces mainly by seeds. Entomophile, but also capable of self-pollination. Campanula broadleaf seeds spill out of the pods when the stems sway. Shoots appear in the spring of the next year or partially in the second or third year. Their development proceeds like that of the nettle-leaved bell.
Broadleaf bellflower tolerates light shade, but does not like dampness. It is propagated by division after flowering or by seeds. It often self-sows and becomes a weed. Use: single and group plantings, mixborders, for cutting.
| Bluebell / Campanula trachelium The nettle-leaved bell grows mainly in shady, mostly mixed forests. Distributed in Europe, Western Siberia, North Africa. It is found in broad-leaved and broad-leaved-coniferous forests and their derivatives, on fairly rich and moist soils. |
Campanula nettlefolia |
The nettle-leaved bell is a perennial plant with a fibrous, rather thick root. The stem is straight, simple or branched, angular, rough, up to 1 m or more high, hairy. The leaves of the nettle-leaved bell are rough, pale below, pointed, large-crowned-toothed or double-crested, the lower ones are long-petiolate, heart-shaped, pointed.
The leaves are about 8 - 10 cm long, 6 - 7 cm wide, with hairy petioles, the upper leaves are sessile. At the ends of the branches there are from 1 to 4 flowers on short stalks, drooping or straight. The calyx is blackish, obconical, with triangular, straight, hairy teeth, 2 - 3 times shorter than the corolla. The corolla is bell-shaped, blue-violet or almost white, bearded inside, not deeply divided into deflected lobes. Stamens with white-filamentous filaments expanded at the base. The somewhat curved hairy column is almost equal to the corolla. The capsule is hanging, ovoid, with three holes. The seeds are ovoid, flattened, yellow. The nettle-leaved bell blooms from early July to mid-August; the seeds begin to ripen in end of August, numerous (1200 pieces on 1 shoot). Mesophyte.
The nettle-leaved bell gives abundant self-seeding and is a weed, so it is better to cut off the flower stalks immediately after flowering. To collect seeds, you can leave several shoots with fruits. Terry varieties are cultivated. Use: mixborders, single and group plantings, on the edges of parks. Shade-tolerant.
| Bluebell / Campanula persicifolia The peach-leaved bellflower grows wildly in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Western Siberia And Western Europe, is also found in forests near Moscow. The name of the species comes from the Latin words persica - “peach” and folium - “leaf”, because the leaves of this bell resemble the leaves of a peach. |
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Flowers with a wide bell-shaped five-petaled corolla, blue, lilac-blue or white, large, 4-5 cm long, collected in paniculate inflorescences of several pieces, there are crowned and double forms. Root system fibrous. Flowering of the peach-leaf bell occurs in the second year after sowing, in the second half of June and lasts for more than a month. The fruit is an ovoid, multifamily capsule. The seeds are shiny, brown, ripen in July - August, remain viable for 2-3 years.
The following varieties of peach bell are known:
- Bernice - blue, double flowers;
- Fleur de Neige - white, double flowers;
- Pride of Exmouth - powdery blue, double flowers;
- Snowdrift - white flowers;
- Telham Beauty - plants 1 m high, large, light blue flowers.
Peach bellflower prefers open sunny places with loose loamy soil. This type of bells is propagated by seeds, which are sown in a greenhouse in April, and then the bells are planted in place as early as possible, with a distance of 35-40 cm between plants. Faded stems die off completely, but with proper care, numerous root suckers and new wintering leaves are formed. Therefore, peach-leaved bells can also be propagated by separating offspring rosettes in early spring or late summer; this must be done every two years. Terry and varietal plants do not retain their properties when propagated by seeds. Therefore, they are propagated only vegetatively - by division or cuttings in the summer (semi-lignified cuttings taken from the middle part of the stem root well). Plants of this species are short-lived and often disappear in the second or third year. The peach-leaved bellflower is shade-tolerant and is used in landscape design: mixborders, group plantings, and for cutting.
| Bluebell / Campanula glomerata Bluebell crowded naturally grows in the European part of Russia, Siberia, Central Asia, Western Europe, Scandinavia. Grows in meadows, forest glades, bushes, mountains. |
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The flowers of bellflower are dark purple, blue, white, up to 2 cm in diameter, in apical and axillary capitate inflorescences up to 20 pcs. The crowded bell blooms in June-July for 30-35 days. Bears fruit. After flowering, the stems die off along with the rosettes of basal leaves, but before this many new rosettes are formed, and the plant continues its life, growing so much that it can drown out neighboring plantings. In culture since 1561.
The crowded bell has decorative forms:
alba (f. alba) - white flowers;
superba (f. superba) - with larger white flowers, plant height up to 45 cm.
The crowded bell prefers a sunny location and light, fertilized soil. Can tolerate partial shade. This bell is propagated by seeds and by separating rosettes in the fall. In addition to planting in flower beds, this species makes an excellent cut flower.
The flowers are bell-shaped, up to 4 cm in diameter, milky white, collected in a large racemose inflorescence. Flowering from June to late August. The flowers have a delicate aroma and attract bees and bumblebees. Fruits in August. In culture since 1814.
The main varieties of Campanula lactiflora:
"Alba" - white flowers;
"Cerulea" - blue flowers;
"Loddon Anna" - soft lilac-pink flowers;
"Prichard" with Variety" - plants up to 1.5 m high with lavender-blue flowers.
The location should be sunny. Bells of this species are propagated by seeds, which are sown immediately in place, and then the seedlings are thinned out. They tolerate transplantation with difficulty.
| Bluebell / Campanula rapunculoides Rapunzel bell is common in the European part of Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Ciscaucasia. |
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The inflorescence is long, racemose, one-sided; flowers are about 2-2.5 cm long, on short stalks, drooping, blue-violet, solitary; calyx teeth linear-lanceolate. There are pale blue (see photo on the right) and white forms. Blooms in June-August.
However, it is better not to plant this elegant bell on a personal plot, because it is aggressive and actively reproduces not only by self-sowing, but also vegetatively, forming numerous root suckers. But in landscape-style parks it is indispensable. It is good to place this bell somewhere on the edge of the park, because it grows well in shade, partial shade and renews itself well.
| Bluebell / Campanula bononiensis The Bolognese bell grows on forest edges, in bushes, and steppes; found in Europe, Mediterranean, Caucasus, Western Siberia. |
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| Nobile bellflower / Campanula nobile-macrantha Bluebell nobly-large-flowered is a tall (more than 1 m) plant with straight or branching stems. The basal leaves are large, ovate-oblong, with a heart-shaped base, with long petioles, and heavily pubescent. Large (diameter up to 7-8 cm) flowers are collected in a spike-shaped raceme. The corolla is funnel-shaped, dark blue. Bluebell nobly-large-flowered blooms in June-July. Use: single and group plantings, mixborders, for cutting. Shade-tolerant. |
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Medium-sized bells:
Of the medium-sized bells (height 35-80 cm), the Caucasian species are the most decorative.
- Campanula spadefoot;
- Bluebell pale ocher;
- Sarmatian bell;
The height of these types of bells is from 30 to 80 cm. Large drooping flowers are collected in racemes. The corolla is funnel-bell-shaped, up to 3 cm long, white, pale ocher-yellow and bluish-lilac. They bloom in June-July. The Sarmatian bellflower and the pale ocher bellflower are Caucasian endemics, that is, they are found only in the Caucasus, in rocky and gravelly places. In cultivation since 1803. Use: rock gardens, single and group plantings, mixborders, for cutting.
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Campanula alliariifolia Campanula spadeflower grows in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia on rocks, mostly limestone, in the forest belt of the mountains. |
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Stem leaves are usually sharply reduced, short-petioled; the uppermost ones are almost sessile, all rather densely pubescent, often white-tomentose below, slightly pubescent or almost glabrous above, unevenly along the edge, sometimes quite sharply toothed.
The flowers of the bellflower are large, located on short pedicels, collected in a long one-sided raceme, fawn, sometimes turning very yellow when dried.
| Sarmatian bellflower / Campanula sarmatica Sarmatian bellflower grows in central Russia. A relatively rare and little-known species. Forms a dense rosette with lovely grey-green, slightly hairy foliage and masses of blue bells. There are varieties with greener and smoother leaves. The stems of Sarmatian bellflower are drooping, 12 to 30 cm long. This is a plant for sunny and partially shaded places with sandy, well-drained soil. Sarmatian bellflower flowers have a delicate honey scent that attracts bees and bumblebees. |
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| Campanula punctata The dotted bell grows in Eastern Siberia, the Far East, Korea, Japan, and northeast China. The dotted bell grows in forests and on shallows along the banks of forest rivers. |
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Stem leaves are spaced, short-petiolate or sessile (petioles are sometimes winged), ovate, acute or lanceolate, doubly crenate-serrate. The flowers of the bellflower are large in quantities from 1 to 5 pcs.,
The flowers are drooping, on rather long stalks. The flowers have a “down”, the calyx is covered with protruding, white, ciliated hairs. Its teeth are lanceolate, sharp, with reddish tips, straight, with downwardly curved, ovoid, pointed appendages.
The corolla is up to 6 cm long, goblet-bell-shaped, somewhat swollen in the middle, off-white, covered outside and especially inside with purple dots. The corolla is woolly pubescent below, bearded inside, with ovoid, non-protruding style, with three thread-like stigmas.
The capsule is three-lobed, drooping, opening with three holes at the base.
The dotted bell is winter-hardy and may bloom poorly after a winter with little snow, so preventive cover is recommended.
| Hybrid bluebell / Campanula punctata A hybrid bell plant that is distinguished by its surprisingly bright purple bell-shaped flowers. The height of the bush is from 40 to 60 cm, width is 30-45 cm. It grows similarly to its parent Campanula punctata, but is not so aggressive and is quite compact. The flowers are large, up to 5-7 cm long, and appear over a long period of time; by the end of flowering, unfortunately, they are smaller than at the beginning. Strong flower stalks do not need garter. |
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| Takeshima Bluebell / Campanula takesimana Takeshima bluebell is native to the rocky mountains of the Iranian Plateau and is also common in Korea. |
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| Turchaninov's Bluebell / Campanula turczaninovii Turchaninov's bell grows in Siberia, the Far East, and Mongolia. On the alpine mountains, in the alpine tundra, on shady rocks. |
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The calyx is 4-10 mm long, hairy or glabrous, the teeth are linear or linear-lanceolate, three times shorter than the corolla. The corolla is 3-4.5 cm long, narrowly funnel-shaped, glabrous, up to 1/3 incised into ovoid pointed lobes.
| Komarov's bell / Campanula komarovii Komarov's bell is a very beautiful type of bell, found only in the Caucasus. |
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Hillbell / Campanula collina Hill bell grows in subalpine and alpine meadows of the Caucasus and Western Asia. |
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| Bluebell / Campanula fenestrellata. Campanula perforatum grows on rocks in the Mediterranean and Balkans. Campanula perforatum is a low-growing plant that grows up to only 30 cm. The leaves are long-petiolate, heart-shaped, ovate, with a crenate-toothed edge. The flowers are blue, large, up to 3 cm in diameter. The corolla is open, star-shaped, the corolla lobes are strongly dissected. Flowering is long (June-September) and abundant. |
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Bluebell / Campanula rotundifolia The round-leaved bell grows in meadows, forest edges and shrubs in the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, Scandinavia, Central Europe and North America. |
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The flowers are collected in a spreading paniculate inflorescence, numerous, rather small (1.5-2 cm long). The corolla is blue, blue or light purple, shallowly incised into wide, short-pointed lobes towards the apex. The round-leaved bell is used in landscape design (rock gardens, group plantings, mixborders, borders).
Low-growing and dwarf species of bells.
Dwarf bellflower species require a sunny location with moist, light soil containing enough humus and lime. In autumn, sandy compost is added to the plants. In a suitable location they can grow for many years.
| Carpathian bluebell / Campanula carpatica Carpathian bellflower is found naturally in the Carpathian Mountains and the mountains of Central Europe.Carpathian bellflower is a perennial plant with thin, leafy stems, up to 30 cm in height. The growth pattern is bushy, spreading in shoots. Bush up to 30 cm in diameter. The basal leaves are on long petioles, ovate-rounded, collected in a dense rosette; stem - on short petioles, ovoid. The flowers are solitary, funnel-bell-shaped, white, blue, purple, up to 5 cm in diameter. Blooms from June for 60-70 days. The fruit is an oval-cylindrical, bare capsule. The seeds ripen in July-August. In culture since 1770. |
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Carpathian bellflower has a number of garden forms and varieties, of which the most famous are:
- "Alba"
- "White Star" - with white flowers;
- “Isabel”;
- “Celestina” - sky blue flowers;
- "Blaumeise";
- “Centon Joy”;
- "Riversleigh" - blue flowers;
- "Karpatenkrone" - with purple flowers.
Very attractive low-growing bells from 10 to 30 cm, from the Alpine mountain belt, growing on rocks and screes. They form small pillows or curtains with numerous stems. The flowers are large, up to 4 cm long, purple, blue, blue. In our conditions, they bloom first (1st ten days of May) and bloom for 3-4 weeks. Used in landscape design.
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Bluebell daisy / Campanula bellidifolia The daisy-leaved bell is a type of bell from the Alpine mountain belt that grows on rocks and screes. They form small pillows or curtains with numerous stems. |
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The leaves are almost glabrous or sparsely pubescent, the basal leaves are long-petiolate, small, ovate-rounded, crenate-toothed, the stem leaves are similar to the basal ones in shape, but reduced, short-petioled and less strongly toothed.
The flowers of the daisy bell are large, up to 4 cm long, purple, blue, blue.
The teeth of the bare or almost bare calyx are oblong, blunt, 4 - 5 times shorter than the bell-shaped violet corolla; appendages lanceolate, obtuse or sharp, longer than the calyx tube; receptacle hairy; the box is almost round.
Bluebell daisy leaves are very attractive low growing plants. In our conditions, they bloom in the first ten days of May and bloom for 3-4 weeks. The daisy bell is used in landscape design.
| Bluebell / Campanula ciliata The ciliated bell is distributed throughout the Caucasus on screes, moraines in the Alpine mountain belt. The plant is mainly meadow or meadow-talus, quite drought-resistant. Altitude interval from 1350 to 2800 m.a.s.l. |
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The ciliated bell flower is blue-violet with lightening at the base of the calyx and more violet tinted at the upper limbs of the corolla, becoming increasingly lighter as it ages to a blue-blue color. The ciliated bell blooms in June – July. Quite a decorative appearance and can be used in landscape design.
| Campanula saxifraga / Campanula saxifraga The bell saxifrage grows in the Caucasus in the alpine mountain belt on rocks and screes. |
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| Three-toothed bell / Campanula tridentata Three-toothed bell grows wildly near eternal snow in the Caucasus, Balkans, and Asia Minor. In nature, on alpine carpets, it is found in large closed colonies. |
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The three-toothed bell blooms in June for 3 to 5 weeks. The flowers are dark purple, up to 4 cm in diameter, solitary. It needs soil rich in humus and a location with a slope away from the sun.
| Bluebell / Campanula uniflora Campanula uniflora is another type of perennial bells growing in the Caucasus. |
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The calyx is slightly hairy, the teeth are pointed and fairly widely spaced. The corolla lobes are bluntly pointed and cut by approximately 1/3. The seeds are small, oblate-ovate, pale cream.
The single-flowered bell blooms in July-August. It has some polymorphism associated with the color of the flower. There is a light blue, lilac and, very rarely, pure white form.
Campanula uniflora prefers crystalline, rocky substrates (dark slate and gneiss), rising along them to heights of 1000 m (I mean the Polar Urals) and descending into the valleys onto the alluvium of river terraces with a deep sandy-gravel substrate, where it is most common. Drought resistance is average and even slightly reduced, but as the roots grow and deepen, it is quite satisfactory.
| Radde's Bluebell / Campanula raddeana Radde's bell grows in the Caucasus, in the subalpine mountain belt. |
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| Bluebell / Campanula ardonensis The Ardonian bell grows in the river basin. Ardov in the eastern part of the Central Caucasus. Obligate petrophyte, grows on rocks composed of clayey and crystalline shales, limestones, sandstones and granites. Mainly in the eastern (southeastern) and western (southwestern) regions, which are located in the forest and subalpine zone at an altitude of 800 to 2900 m above sea level. The optimal growing conditions for the species are an altitude of 1300-2400 m above sea level. |
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The stems of the bellflower of Ardon are from 10 to 20 cm high, thin, single-flowered. The bases of the stems are densely covered with the remains of petioles of dead leaves. The basal leaves are narrow-linear, with a spaced-serrate edge, the base is drawn into a narrow thread-like petiole. The stem leaves are very narrow. Ardon bluebell blooms in May - June. Flowers with a dark blue narrow bell-shaped corolla 1.5-2 cm long, approximately half divided into lobes. Calyx with narrow linear, pointed, almost awl-shaped teeth. The column does not extend beyond the corolla. The fruit is a hemispherical-conical capsule with oblong pale brown seeds. Ardon bell is propagated by seeds and vegetatively.
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Cold-loving bell / Campanula kryophila The cold-loving bell is the rarest narrowly local endemic only to the highest part of the Central Caucasus (Main Range). |
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From the above, this type is the highest mountain in the entire Caucasus.
Campanula cold-loving is a perennial squat herbaceous plant, forming slightly sparse turfs of leaf rosettes. The leaves of the rosettes and sterile shoots are long-fine-petiolate, ovate-oblong, narrowed towards the base, crenate-toothed at the ends. The stem of Campanula cold-loving bears at the top a single, very large, broadly bell-shaped blue flower, in which the upper lobes of the corolla are cut out by a third. The height of the flower stems varies from 8 to 15 cm, depending on the height above sea level of the slope and the turf of the substrate.
The taproot, thickened at the base of the rosettes, has a beetroot color and quickly branches in the substrate.
The species is very promising for further study and decorative use.
| Campanula kemulariae Campanula Kemularia grows in the Caucasus, in the forest belt on limestone rocks. |
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| Birch-leaved bellflower / Campanula betulifolia The birch-leaved bellflower comes from the mountainous regions of Turkey, where it grows at an altitude of 300-2300 m. |
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| Alpine Bluebell / Campanula alpestris The Alpine bellflower is native to the mountainous regions of Europe. It grows in the Alps, where at an altitude of 1400 to 2800 m. |
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Alpine bellflower needs a well-drained place with poor soil on the eastern slope of the rock garden. Plantings should be mulched with gravel. Seeds are sown before winter. Shoots appear within 1-3 months at a temperature of 16-21 degrees. Alpine bellflower can be propagated by division in early spring and autumn. The seeds are photosensitive.
| Pozharsky's bell / Campanula poscharskyana Pozharsky's bell is naturally distributed on the Balkan Peninsula. |
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Pozharsky's bell can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius. Propagated by cuttings of stems with roots in spring. Looks especially good next to large species cloves and saxifrage. Does not tolerate acidic soils and stagnant water. Pozharsky's bell prefers light partial shade.
| Bluebell / Campanula garganica Campanula garganica is native to Northern Italy. |
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Gargan bell is usually planted in the partial shade of a gorge in a rock garden. Propagated by pieces of rooted stems in spring or late summer with growing in a greenhouse. Capricious in culture. The soil is non-acidic, loamy. Does not tolerate stagnant water and heavy shading. Winter hardiness is relative. Good drainage is necessary.
Campanula garganis is used in landscape design. Extremely interesting for rocky gardens, borders, mixborders, and potted plants.
| Portenschlagian's Bluebell / Campanula portenschlagiana The Portenschlag bluebell grows wild in the Balkans. |
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The soil should be non-acidic, moderately dry and nutritious, sandy loam is best. Does not tolerate clay soils! It grows very quickly, blooms profusely, and creates colorful accents on an alpine hill. Partners - different kinds carnation, Dalmatian geranium, fescue. It is propagated (best in spring) by pieces of rhizomes with roots, which are grown in a greenhouse. Winter hardiness is relative. Does not tolerate stagnant water; good drainage is required.
Bluebell / Campanula elatines
Bellflower grows in the Adriatic mountains.
Bellflower is a low-growing plant 15-25 cm tall with thin stems radiating from a central rosette. The lower leaves are long-petiolate, heart-shaped, oval to rounded with sharp teeth. The flowers are quite large (length 2.8-3 cm), collected in narrow panicles. The corolla is blue, tubular. Blooms in June-July. Bellflower is used in landscape design.
| Campanula cochleariifolia Campanula sparrowfolia grows wild on limestones in the Alps and Carpathians. |
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The bell plant grows with thin shoots that easily penetrate under stones; it must be planted so that it does not suppress neighboring plants. A sunny, warm place is required. The soil should be fresh, well-permeable, limed, and poor in nutrients. This plant does not tolerate heavy clay soils with accumulated dampness! Propagated by shoots, dividing bushes. It is grown from seeds by seedlings. Sowing time: February-April. Optimal temperature for germination 13-18 degrees. Seedlings should be protected from direct sunlight and grown in cool conditions.
Bellflower has a number of varieties:
"Alba" - white flowers;
"Miss Wilmott" - blue flowers;
"R.B. Loder" - with double blue flowers.
| Dark bell / Campanula pulla Dark bellflower comes from the southern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. Dark bell is a low-growing perennial species, 5-10 cm high. It forms dense carpet thickets. The leaves are small, shiny, dark green, almost round. The dark bell blooms in July-August with very large simple (one flower at a time) dark purple, less often white, flowers. The corolla has very short lobes. Fruiting is extended, throughout July. This species is much more capricious than the others. It requires special care, so it is recommended to be bred only by experienced gardeners. Dark bluebell develops in soil containing a mixture of peat and calcium. |
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Otran's bell is very effective when planted on a small, well-drained terrace of a rocky hill or on the wall of dry masonry, on a "rock".
| Alsinoid bell / Campanula alsinoides Campanula alsiniformes is native to the northwestern regions of the Himalayas. Another low-growing species, rarely exceeding 10 cm in height. Shoots lodging, prostrate. The leaves are gray-green, noticeably pubescent, diamond-shaped. The flowers are white, small, and appear at the end of summer. Bluebell alsinoides reproduces by seeds, which germinate without any prior preparation. In favorable conditions it self-sows. Winters poorly. It is advisable to provide protection from dampness. |
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| Campanula pulvinaris Bellflower is native to the mountains of Eastern Turkey, where it grows at an altitude of 2200 to 2700 m.Campanula cushion is a beautiful, compactly growing, cushion-shaped bell approximately 4-5 cm tall. Its single violet-blue flowers on erect peduncles are approximately 1-1.5 cm in length. The leaves are ash-gray to silver in color and collected in a rosette. Requires dry shelter for the winter and is an ideal plant for an alpine greenhouse. |
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Chamisso bell is a low perennial plant, 5 to 10 cm high, with a thin cylindrical rhizome. Small, crenate, obovate, shiny leaves are collected in a rosette (stem leaves are lanceolate). The flower is solitary, terminal, about 3.8-4 cm long, elongated funnel-shaped, 3 cm in diameter, calyx with appendages, corolla shaggy along the edge. The plant usually has one peduncle, occasionally up to five. The Chamisso bell blooms in July - August, the seeds ripen in August - September. Individual flowers are also found in September.
Campanula Chamisso is a promising plant for rocky gardens. Requires an open, drained area, light soil and regular moisture.
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Campanula lasiocarpa Campanula pilosa is a miniature graceful plant with a large dark blue flower. |
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Campanula pilosa is a perennial small (6 to 12 cm in height) loose-grass plant with a thin creeping rhizome, straight stems and oblanceolate, almost spinous-toothed leaves. Flowers are solitary, terminal, funnel-shaped, 3-4 cm long, with wider lobes than the previous species, calyx without appendages. The white-flowered form is occasionally found (Takeda, 1938). Blooms in June-July, bears fruit in August. Propagated by seeds or division.
Flowers with outstretched lobes up to 3 cm in diameter, terminal solitary or collected in 2-3 flowers in a corymbose or short racemose inflorescence. The corolla is dissected to more than 1/2 of its length, the lobes of the corolla are spread out. Uemura's bluebell blooms in July.
Uemura's bellflower is an interesting plant for rock gardens. Requires a well-drained, open location, light soil and regular moisture.
| Bellflower / Campanula dasyantha Bellflower hairy-flowered grows in the territories of Siberia, Mongolia, and Canada. In the alpine and goltsy mountain belts, along rocky slopes and rock cracks. The stems of Campanula pilosiflora are single or 2-5 in number, simple, from 5 to 20 (sometimes up to 28) high, in the upper part they are usually pubescent with long hairs or almost bare. Basal leaves from elongated-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 1-7(12) cm long. and 3-8 mm wide, finely toothed, narrowed at the base into a petiole. The stems are smaller, linear-lanceolate or linear, sessile. The flower is usually solitary, drooping, 1.5 - 3.5 cm long. |
Bellflower hairy-flowered |
The calyx is hairy, 2-3 times shorter than the corolla, its lobes are broadly lanceolate, the intermediate lobes are bent upward, obtuse. The corolla is blue, broadly bell-shaped, up to 1/3 cut into ovoid lobes with ciliated edges.
| Campanula medium Campanula medium, whose homeland is Southwestern Europe and Asia, is a vulture plant in cultivation, sometimes grown as a perennial due to natural renewal. The average bell has an erect, stiff-haired stem 50-100 cm tall. The lower leaves are oblong-oval, obtuse, the stem leaves are sessile, ovate-lanceolate, crenate along the edge, hard, hairy along the veins. The flowers are goblet-bell-ringed, blue, light blue, white or pink, simple or double, up to 7 cm long, collected in a pyramidal inflorescence. |
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The middle bell blooms from June to September. Fruits in August-September. The seeds are small, gray-brown. There are 4500 seeds in 1 g. In culture since 1578.
The middle bell has numerous garden varieties and forms, differing in the color of the corolla, the degree of doubleness of the flowers and the dissected teeth of the overgrown, brightly colored calyx (f. calycanthema). For example, garden forms with double flowers (double corolla) - C. m. Double Choice Mixed, with simple flowers - Single Choice Mixed, plants up to 1 m high, with cup-and-saucer-like flowers - C. m. calycanthema Choice Mixed, the variety mixture Bells of Holland has plants 60 cm high. Flowering in June - July.
Bellflower is a light-loving, cold-resistant and moisture-loving plant. Prefers deep-cultivated, rich soil in a sunny location. The bell does not tolerate acidic soils and stagnant water. In damp areas, plants die out in winter. For 1 sq. m of clay soils, 15 kg are added for digging, loamy soils - 19 kg of humus or compost.
The rosettes of leaves formed by the autumn of the first year for the winter must be covered with peat with a layer of 3 - 5 cm or with fallen leaves with a layer of 10 cm. The next year, the growing flowering shoots are tied to stakes. In dry weather, watering is provided, as otherwise the plants become smaller and flowering stops.
The flowering of the middle bell is very rich, the plants are completely covered with large bells, which makes a completely irresistible impression. Planted singly or in groups against the backdrop of a lawn, in prefabricated flower beds or on ridges, and used as a cut flower. It also looks very impressive in bouquets. Cut flowers are stored in water for 10 - 12 days.
| Bearded bellflower / Campanula barbata Bearded bell grows in the subalpine zone of the mountains of Central Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. |
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| Campanula thyrsoides Campanula thyrsus or as it is also called Campanula spica got its name due to the similarity of the elongated (length from 50 to 70 cm) spike-shaped inflorescence with a “thyrsus” - a rod. |
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Yew bellflower is used in single and group plantings, mixborders, and relief areas.
| Large bell - Campanula macrostachya. The large bell grows in meadows and steppes in the Balkans, Asia Minor, and Europe. |
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The corolla of the bellflower is tubular, pale violet-blue, naked, twice as long as the teeth of the calyx, with bent, ovoid, pointed lobes; the filaments of the stamens are hairy, from the ovoid base, linear and curved; anthers linear; style barely shorter than corolla, glabrous; the stigma is tripartite, thickened, hairy, the capsule is bluntly triangular, opening with holes. The flowers are collected in whorled bunches of 6-7 flowers. Blooms in June-July. The large bell is used in single and group plantings and mixborders.
| Bluebell / Campanula cervicaria The coarse bell grows in forest lawns, meadows of Europe and Siberia. Bluebell is a tall (from 70 to 100 cm), densely pubescent plant. The stem is straight, often simple, deeply furrowed, covered with hard white protruding hairs. The inflorescence is almost capitate at the top, whorled at the bottom. The flowers are sessile, rather small, 2-2.5 cm long. The corolla is bell-shaped, blue, divided into ovoid sharp lobes. The coarse bell blooms in June-July, is shade-tolerant. Used in single plantings and mixborders. |
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| Moesian Bluebell / Campanula moesiaca Moesian bellflower grows in the mountain meadows of the Balkan Peninsula. The Moesian bellflower is very close to the coarse bellflower. It is slightly lower - 50-70 cm, and the color of the corolla is more varied - from almost white to pinkish-lilac. A pubescent plant with straight, thick stems. The leaves are dense, pubescent, lanceolate, with a short petiole, up to 10-15 cm long. The inflorescence is wide, consisting of a dense apical head and dense axillary flower bunches (up to 21 flowers). The corolla is tubular-funnel-shaped, light blue, up to 3 cm long, up to 1/3 divided into oblong-ovate lobes. |
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Moesian bellflower blooms in June-July. Used in group plantings, mixborders, rocky gardens.
| Siberian bellflower / Campanula sibirica Siberian bellflower is a biennial plant, widespread in the steppes and forest-steppes of Europe and Asia. |
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| Campanula patula / Campanula patula Spreading bellflower is widespread in Europe and Western Siberia. Perhaps the most famous of all wild bells. Its large, funnel-shaped, violet-blue bells, up to 3 cm in diameter, can be found in any meadow or forest edge. |
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Stem leaves are few, lanceolate, sessile, entire or somewhat serrated, shorter than the basal ones. The flowers of the spreading bell are collected in loose paniculate inflorescences, apical or axillary, with long pedicels, quite large, up to 3 cm long. The teeth of the elongated, ob-conical, glabrous or roughly pubescent calyx are long pointed, sometimes with small teeth at the base, usually strongly deflected, almost twice as long as the funnel-shaped, violet-blue, sometimes almost white, with intensely colored veins, glabrous corolla, divided into one thirds into ovoid, pointed, bent lobes. Stamens with membranous hairy filaments, almost hair-like from a rounded base; the style is equal in length to the corolla, bluish, pubescent, with three stigmas. The capsule is straight, ovoid-cylindrical, with ten veins, glabrous or somewhat hairy, opening with three holes. The seeds are ovoid, somewhat flattened, very small, shiny.
The spreading bell blooms early - from mid-May - and blooms until the end of July. Propagates well by self-sowing. It is used extremely rarely in landscaping.
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Pyramid bell / Campanula pyramidalis The pyramidal bell grows on rocks in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and Asia Minor. This species is one of the most beautiful tall bells. This is a spectacular Mediterranean plant, up to 1.5 m high, with numerous white, blue or dark blue flowers, collected in large spike-shaped racemes. In our conditions it overwinters, but requires light shelter. In cultivation since 1569, the pyramidal bell is used in single and group plantings, mixborders, and in pot culture. |
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Campanula lyrata
Campanula lyre-shaped Grows in the Balkans and Asia Minor, on dry mountain slopes.
The stems are straight, about 50-70 cm. The whole plant is covered with short, stiff hairs. Bluish-lilac tubular flowers, up to 2-3 cm long, are collected in a multi-flowered racemose inflorescence. Drought-resistant plant, does not need watering. Used in mixborders.
The flowers are 2-2.5 cm in diameter, purple, collected in a few-flowered paniculate inflorescence. Bell orphanidea is used in rock gardens and arranging borders.
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Spatula bell / Campanula spatulata. The spatulate bell grows in the mountainous regions of the Balkan Peninsula and the island of Crete, in subalpine meadows. Campanula spatula is a low-growing plant 15-25 cm high with thin stems. The lower leaves are obovate, the upper ones are broadly lanceolate. In the upper third of the stem, in the axils of the leaves, there are single flowers on long stalks. The corolla is light purple, funnel-shaped, dissected into pointed lobes, up to 2.5-3 cm long. It blooms in the 1st year of the growing season, blooms in June-July. Spatulate bell is used in rock gardens. |
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| Sartori's Bluebell / Campanula sartorii Campanula Sartori grows on rocks in the mountainous regions of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. Bell Sartori is a heavily pubescent, low-growing plant with creeping stems 10-20 cm long. The lower leaves are very small, rounded, heart-shaped, bluish in color due to short white hairs. The flowers are numerous, small (up to 1.5 cm long), located in the axils of the stem leaves. The corolla is funnel-shaped, white or pink. During flowering, the style is noticeably longer than the corolla. Campanula Sartori Blooms in June-July and is used to create rocky gardens. |
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Annual bells:
All annual bells come from the southern regions, so they are quite rare in our culture. The most famous are the abundantly flowering, low-growing (10-30 cm) K. dichotomous, K. annual, K. Kashmiri.
| Bluebell / Campanula longistyla In nature, this species grows only in the Caucasus in rock cracks and gravelly places. |
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The long-columnar bell looks very elegant, but in reality it is very strong. In the garden it should be placed in sun or partial shade. In hot weather, shade should be provided. To re-bloom in summer and autumn, old mature flower stalks should be pruned, but if pruning is done after the end of July, the plants may not bloom until next year. Loves moist but well-drained (not clayey) rich soil. You should feed the plants once or twice a season, otherwise flowering will be poor, even to the point of death of the plant.
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Bluebell / Campanula erinus The annual bell grows wildly on dry limestone rocks in the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus. |
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Bluebell / Campanula dichotoma
Dichotomous bellflower, or as it is also called forked bellflower, grows in the cracks of limestone rocks in the Western Caucasus.
Dichotomous bellflower is a low-growing plant (up to 15-20 cm) with thin, twisting, forked-branching stems covered with hard short hairs. The leaves are broadly ovate. The flowers are numerous. The corolla is bell-shaped, light purple. Dichotomous bell is used for rock gardens and borders.
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Cashmere bluebell / Campanula cashmiriana The Kashmiri bellflower grows in rock cracks in the Himalayas and Pamirs. |
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Bluebells of North America:
Bluebells of North America It is believed that the most beautiful wild bells come from Europe, but among the bells growing in the northwestern United States there are a number of quite attractive species. Many of them are low-growing plants that grow on mountain screes. There are also wonderful cultivars selected from the wild that deserve attention. Some North American species grow quite well in rock gardens all year round, while others, despite the fact that they develop well in open ground during the summer, still need protection from waterlogging. And species such as Campanula piferi and Campanula shetleri are good in pots and are always a success at Alpine Garden Society exhibitions.
| Bluebell / Campanula lasiocarpa The downy bluebell is the most common Alaskan bluebell, but it grows not only in Alaska, but also far south. |
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Parry bell / Campanula parryi
Parrilla bluebell grows in many western states, inhabiting moist subalpine and lower alpine meadows.
Campanula parriya produces dense cushions of neat, tufted leaves and blue, funnel-shaped, upward-pointing, star-shaped flowers on 15cm tall stems. Parriya bellflower grows using thin underground rhizomes. One of the easiest Western species to cultivate.
| Bluebell piperi / Campanula piperi The bluebell piperi is known from the Olympic Mountains in Washington. It grows on rocky slopes of the subalpine belt and on gravelly screes at an altitude of about 1785 m. |
Bluebell piperi |
Color varies from lavender to bright blue or purple blue.Bell pepper has a wide variety of flower colors and shapes.
Campanula prenanthoides
Campanula prenanthoides is a very close relative of C. scouleri. Although some sources describe this species as having tall peduncles, plants grown by Graham Nichollson from seeds collected in Oregon at an altitude of 925m have peduncles only 15cm tall. The flowers are bright, blue, and shaped like C.scouleri.
| Bluebell / Campanula scabrella The rough bluebell occupies a wide area from Washington to California, Montana and Idaho. Grows on rocks and dry rocky screes of the subalpine zone. |
Rough bell |
Although the rough bell is listed among the North American species that are questionable for cultivation, it is still possible to grow it. Requires increased attention and care, especially during the period of full flowering.
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Shetler's bell / Campanula shetleri Shetler's Bluebell grows in the Mount Shasta and Trinity Mountains of California at an altitude of about 1890 m in lightly shaded areas. It is often described as a compact bell-shaped piperi, but this species is considered more graceful and attractive. |
Shetler's bell |
This bluebell is one of the most beautiful North American species that Graham Nicholls grows.
Bell care:
Bluebell is a well-known, charming and delicate flowering garden plant. It is often grown as a perennial, thanks to natural renewal - self-seeding. In fact, it is a biennial, which is only warm countries can open its buds in the year of planting.
All types of bells are unpretentious, but develop better in open sunny places, with well-cultivated and fertilized soil. These plants prefer areas protected from the wind with well-cultivated lime soils and do not tolerate waterlogging. Care consists of watering, weeding and, possibly, tying to pegs. For the winter, the bell plant is covered with spruce branches. They respond well to organic fertilizers and compost.
In the first year, the plant forms a powerful root with a lush rosette of ovate-lanceolate leaves, and in the second year it blooms. During this period, the bush is almost completely covered with charming and spectacular bells.
Graceful and large (up to 7 cm) flowers, similar to glasses of soft blue, bright blue, purple, pink, white, are collected in multi-flowered loose inflorescences. Bell flowers can be either simple or unusual semi-double or double. Under favorable conditions, flowering is quite lush and long-lasting (June-August).
In August-September, fruit boxes with small gray-brown seeds ripen. After dropping the seeds ends life cycle medium bell. However, next spring, provided warm winter Flower stalks may appear from the root collar of the plant, but they will be weaker than last year’s and will not produce full and abundant flowering.
Caring for a bell is not difficult. It is necessary to loosen the soil regularly
remove weeds, water in a timely manner, especially during hot, dry periods,
Tie long flowering stems to a strong support as they grow.
Faded flowers must be plucked to prolong flowering and preserve the decorative appearance of the plant as long as possible.
Reproduction of bells:
The seeds of bells vary in size, from visible to almost dusty. Anyone who collects bell seeds for the first time should know that, unlike most plants, their seed pods are located immediately behind the flower and have pores at the base from which the seeds are dispersed. You should not look for already open seed pods, because... Immediately after the end of flowering, the testes turn brown and the seeds, especially the largest ones, have probably already spilled out. Slightly browned seed pods should be cut off and either placed in a bag or turned over so that the seeds themselves fall out into the bag.
Very small bluebell seeds need light to germinate, so they do not need to be covered with sand or soil. Graham Nicholls usually sows such seeds on the surface of the sand, placing the pot in a saucer of water until the ground is wet. Using the capillary process, the seeds are slightly drawn into the sand, which is necessary for germination. Not too small seeds can be sown on top of the soil mixture and then sprinkled with coarse sand.
Most bellflower species can be propagated vegetatively by separating the peripheral parts from the plant, planting them in a pot and keeping them in a closed greenhouse for a couple of weeks. If you have a particularly wonderful plant, or a plant with a beautiful flower color, and you want to propagate it, then the vegetative method is ideal.
Growing bells from seeds:
As a rule, all biennials with small seeds are grown through seedlings. It is advisable to sow them in spring (late April-May) or mid-summer in seedling boxes filled with prepared soil. The ideal soil mixture is humus soil, turf soil, coarse sand (6:3:1).
Since the seeds are small, they are not embedded in the soil, but simply distributed evenly over a slightly compacted and well-moistened surface. Press it slightly onto the soil, lightly moisten it again and cover it with a film on top so that the soil does not dry out quickly. After 3 weeks, at an optimum temperature of 18-20C, the first shoots will appear, and after the same time, the seedlings will be ready for planting in a seedling bed in open garden soil.
Young bells are planted at intervals of 10-15 cm. At first, they are slightly shaded and provided with regular watering. At the end of August, as soon as the heat subsides, the stronger plants are transplanted to the planned location in increments of 30-40 cm. In autumn, the overgrown rosettes are covered with a layer (5-10 cm) of fallen leaves or peat.
Conditions and care for bells
Growing bells and care
The bell is an average photophile, loves a windless and sunny location. It can grow fully in light shade under trees, but the flowering will not be as lush.
The plant needs generous regular watering. If there is a lack of moisture, the leaves become smaller and flowering stops. However, it should not be planted in damp, low-lying areas where rainwater accumulates and stagnates. On such soils, bells bloom poorly and quickly disappear, and in winter they rot away from excess moisture.
The flower is undemanding to soil and develops well even on depleted soil. However, he prefers waterproof, limed and rich in nutrients. For full development and abundant flowering, experienced gardeners recommend adding well-rotted manure and wood ash to the planting soil (2 kg of manure and 30 g of ash are enough for 1 m2). In the spring of the second year, you need to feed the plant with urea, and during the period of bud formation - with mineral fertilizers.
Application of bells:
The medium bell will become a wonderful decoration wherever it is planted: in a flowerbed, ridge, or mixborder. It harmonizes perfectly with many perennial and annual flowers: mallow, lavatera, cosmos, carnation, ferns. Looks impressive on the lawn, planted either singly or in groups. Suitable for container gardening and bouquets. The flowers do not fade in a vase for a long time and retain their sophisticated, elegant beauty for almost 2 weeks. In addition, the bell is an excellent honey plant; it will be useful in every garden.
Bluebell pests:
The worst enemies of bluebells are slugs. Even in the greenhouse for alpine plants, Graham Nicholls uses bait for them. In the absence of good ventilation, some bells with dense leaves are affected by downy mildew and the center of the bush becomes wet. In general, the problem of downy mildew for plants grown in a greenhouse is widespread due to insufficient air exchange. Also, plants growing under glass are severely affected by red spider mites and in case of severe infestation, treatment should be carried out immediately.
Materials used are from Graham Nicholls' book Alpine Plants of North America.
