Bellflower

Bellflower Overview

Campanula is a genus also known by the name Bellflower, because of its bell-shaped (sometimes tube- or star-shaped) flowers. Many species have become popular garden plants because they are easy to grow in a wide range of locations. While they prefer a sunny site, some Bellflowers are happy in partial shade. Most like the soil to be moist and they should never be allowed to dry out when in flower. Often blue, Campanulas can also be pink, purple or white. They can be spreading, clump-forming, trailing or upright in form, their leaves being oval or lance-shaped. Some are evergreen. There are over 400 annual, biennial and perennial species of Campanula which range greatly in size and preferred habitat, and are distributed across temperate and subtropical environments in the Northern Hemisphere. Scotland and Ireland term this genus Bluebell. However, it is not related to the true bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta.