A perennial that prefers fresh and dry soil. The clustered bellflower is an primordial native ornamental plant, extremely easy to grow and undemanding. It creates dense clumps, purple inflorescences appear from June to August. Wild, non-cultivar seeds.
SKU: N069
€5,00 – €20,75
Polish name: dense bellflower, capitular bellflower
Latin Name: Campanula glomerata L.
Family: bellflowers Campanulaceae
Status in Poland: common in the lowlands, native
Perennial (a lasting plant) characterized by a huge variability in flower size, form of inflorescences and leaf ciliation.
The clustered bellflower shoots are into two types. Underground, woody orbicular rhizomes and above-ground erect angular in cross-section stems. The second type is almost always hairy with gray, curly or felted, but not aculeate tomentose sometimes violet tinted, very rarely bare or branched.
Roots very similar to rhizomes, also woody and cylindrical, growing obliquely differ only in their internal structure.
This plant has leaves long-petioled, and the upper ones sessile. The lower-leaf node can be circular, truncate or cordate, and the petiole is usually winged. The upper-leaf blade is always characterized by an elongate, lanceolate shape.
Flowers of non-cultivar plants in the form of light violet bells without peduncles typical for the genus, in this species they are clustered as indicated by the species name, at the top of the shoot in a characteristic capitule. Single flowers also develop in the axils of the upper leaves. Blooms from June to September. Many varieties with white, pink, dark violet or purple flowers have also been bred.
Fruit in the form of a typical type of capsule cracking with three pinholes at the base. Seeds inconspicuous, spread with the wind.
Clustered bellflower requires a very sunny place, at most slightly shaded, and a fresh or slightly dry soil, moderately compact, organic (peaty, or humus). It grows best on typical garden soil with a reaction close to neutral (pH 7), although it will cope even on very acidic or, on the contrary, very alkaline soils.
Seeds require cold stratification, which is why gardeners usually sow them in winter. They can also be cooled in the refrigerator and sown in the spring.
This perennial is not susceptible to pests and diseases, it is also not susceptible to freezing.
The most popular ornamental varieties of this bellflower are currently: ‘Dahurica’ (with more numerous and imposing flowers than the other varieties), ‘Odessa’ (burgundy) and ‘Acaulis Weiss’ (low, white-flowered).
No data on the honey yield of the clustered bellflower. Most species of the genus Campanula are a great bee forage species, providing 250-400 kg of honey per hectare.
