The Best Varieties of Campanula

Don’t go shopping until you learn which varieties are tops in looks, hardiness, and behavior

reflect the myriad of bellflower makes me feel like a Thomas Kid in a confect store . The variety of floralshapes , blossom colors , and industrial plant substance abuse is both astounding and enticing . Every gardener needs at least one campanula ( Campanulaspp . and cvs . , USDA Hardiness zona 3–9 ) . My fondness for the genus fueled my desire to undertake this test , and I ’m so glad that I scratched that itch . I ’ve ascertain a destiny about campanula over the years , which is not surprising given that we ’ve turn well over a hundred different kinds . I ’ve seen the commodity , the bad , and the ugly panorama of the grouping , but no matter their performance , it ’s unacceptable to deny the fabulousness of their flowers — whatever their shape , size , or color .

gardener who covetblueblossoms will be happy to line up that campanulas derive in a pleasingpaletteof violet and blue . But if nerveless tones are n’t your cup of tea , there are pink- and white - blossom options , as well . The flowers put on a show from late outpouring through summer , often popping up periodically into earlyautumn . Campanulas also offer a robust variety of plant habits , from clumpers to rambling broadcaster . This think there is a campanula for nigh every spot . Despite all these ostensibly good traits , some campanulas arethuggishwhile others are n’t that troublesome . Culturally mouth , they can range from fickle to surefire to grow . Some have exacting conditional requirements , while others seem to spring up anywhere without much pettifoggery . So which one are languorous and which I could be your worst nightmare ?

Top performers for your shopping cart

These sort were choose as the good because of their ripe looks , potent habit , and overall hardiness — despite rough winter and scorching summertime .

Ican’t say that it was love at first sight , but my grasp for‘Sarastro ’ campanula(C.‘Sarastro ’ ) get at a flying pace . This beauty received the high paygrade in our trial for its profusion of purple - blue flower , compact habit , andwinter daring . ‘ Sarastro ’ is one of those campanulas with fantastic tube-shaped blossom dangling in vast clusters above the leave-taking . The relatively short ‘ Sarastro ’ is n’t troubled by weak stems , which plague some other cultivars . Its pubescent heart - determine leaves have more than a passing resemblance to spotted campanula ( C. punctata)—it ’s one of the parents , after all — but soft - mannered ‘ Sarastro ’ , gratefully , did not inherit the rearing habit . ‘ Sarastro ’ in full blossom is a beautiful visual modality , but the faded flowers are anything but middling . Deadheading removes the brownish blossoms and keep the plant level-headed , so do n’t forgo that essential chore . I ’m a bit dumbfounded that this marvellous campanula is n’t well know to gardeners .

In a similar vein,‘Purple Sensation ’ campanula(C.‘Purple Sensation ’ ) offers an abundance of pendant , drab empurpled Melville Bell beginning in belated spring . The 3 - inch - farseeing tubular blossoms are endearing , but I find oneself that the color of the nearly black flower bud to be simply luscious . Its compact , bushy riding habit was slightly larger than ‘ Sarastro ’ but equally bountiful in bloom . ‘ Purple Sensation ’ thrives infull sunand is os hardy in wintertime .

Iknow that I ’m exit to take some antiaircraft for including‘Caroline ’ clustered campanula(C. glomerata‘Caroline ’ ) in the top performer . To be true , some gardeners look all dotty - eyed when I advert it , which makes me a small hesitating to talk it up . It is , indeed , a broadcaster , but after watch spotted campanula run over its neighbour ( becoming nearly impossible to eradicate ) , I ’ve decided that ‘ Caroline ’ is a lamb by comparison . ‘ Caroline ’ displays copious pallid lavender bells in rounded clusters on stalwart stems in previous spring toearly summerThe flowered show is truly spectacular . Though I was overwhelmingly draw to some other clustered - bellflower cultivars with drab blooms — I’m a mark for dark purple — their lax habit were inferior to that of ‘ Caroline ’ , which stayed upright at all times . I recommend shearing the stem back to their al-Qaeda after flowering to keep the plant from ego - seeding or looking tatty . I roll in the hay that its spreading habit will be troublesome for some gardener , especially those with small garden or formal boundary line , but the allure of these pretty blossoms is hard to refuse .

Starry Serbian bellflower ( C. poscharskyana ) and its cultivar are wonderfulgarden perennials , blooming extravagantly from late spring to midsummer . All have low , trailing habit , which are idealistic for edge walks and molding or tucking into crannied stone wall . Long - blooming‘Blue Waterfall ’ starry Serbian campanulais especially wizard for its cheery lavender - blue blossom with pallid centers that heighten the whiz condition . With so many flowers covering the plant , it ’s as if each upward - facing flush is push and shove to be seen above its neighbor . ‘ Blue Waterfall ’ was one of the largest of the Serbian bellflower — just more to jazz as far as I ’m have-to doe with .

No matter where I seeKorean campanula(C.takesimana ) growing , it make up me felicitous . The dramatic richness of tubular bells dripping from branched stems is stunning . The insides of the creamy white flowers are freckled with carmine spotlight , which show through the nearly transparent tubes . While the fat pink flower of its full cousin ‘ Elizabeth ’ ( C. takesimana‘Elizabeth ’ ) are enticing , I find the species to be satisfying on its own . At a casual coup d’oeil , the heart - mold leaves look somewhat like spotted bellflower , but upon closer review , they are bright dark-green , lustrous , and smooth rather than haired . I do n’t regain Korean campanula ’s rhizomatous habit to be as tight produce or tenacious as spotted bellflower , despite being compared in the same light . Do n’t be a slacker wheredeadheadingis interest because the declining heyday stem are in particular unsightly and make the plant look mussy . Korean campanula thrives in full sun to loose shade and is adaptable to a motley of garden conditions . In my metropolis garden , Korean campanula has transmigrate from its original location to a funny airstrip between a fence and the alley — a tough spot , but it loves it there .

‘ Samantha ’ campanula(C.‘Samantha ’ ) is such a cutie . The soft timbre of its flower color — light royal – blue paling gradually to whiten in the center — is accentuated by the upturned , broadly speaking roll - shaped blossoms that swim above the plant in previous bounce . ‘ Samantha ’ resemble Carpathian bellflower ( C. carpatica ) in its nanus mounded habit , but its bloom were more copious than any of the Carpathian cultivars and it was more adaptable to moist winter status . I was pleased everyspringthat ‘ Samantha ’ made it through wintertime so that I could revel its pollyannaish flowers again .

‘ Bernice ’ nettle - leaved campanula(C. trachelium‘Bernice ’ ) is a novelty because of its distinctive double cupped flowers . The violet - puritanic blossoms crown gently arch leafy stems from late spring to midsummer . ‘ Bernice ’ is naturally strong stem , but rain may collect in the two-fold bloom and draw the stems downward . This is a well - mannered clumper with serrate leaves , which look startlingly like nettle but without the sting . ‘ Bernice ’ turn best in well - enfeeble soils in full sunlight to light shade , and is at domicile in a border or rock garden . I daydream of lush English edge whenever I see ‘ Bernice ’ in full bloom .

Keep an eye out for these up-and-comers

The fall out campanulas may not be well known — and some are fairly Modern to our test — but their carrying out , so far , is suitable of honorable mention .

Ihesitate calling‘Viking ’ campanula(C.‘Viking ’ ) a new tiddler because I ’ve judge it since 2009 , but for many gardener , it will be a grand new discovery . Notably , ‘ Viking ’ features an abundance of lavender peak for six self-coloured weeks , beginning in recent spring and then on and off well into surrender . The 2 - inch - long , bell - shaped flower are bunch up at the top and along stiff stems ( 18 inch tall ) ; interestingly , the flowers confront up , out , and down all at once . ‘ Viking ’ is a meek spreader with rootstalk move outwards at a slow pace . After five years in the priming , ‘ Viking ’ has spread to 32 inches wide yet still has a compact , neat appearance with no errant shoot . Like most campanula , ‘ Viking ’ must be deadheaded ; a slew of nasty browned blossoms are the price we yield for the portentous flowered show — but it is so deserving it ! The blossom draw butterflies and hummingbirds — and , unexpectedly , attracted more than a few sphinx moths last summer .

‘ Pink Octopus ’ campanula(C.‘Pink Octopus ’ ) is a bellflower with a clearly uncampanula facial expression . The blush - colour flowers are separate into narrow-minded flower petal — like the tentacle of an octopus — and bloom freely from late spring to midsummer and sporadically into fall . Although the overall floral exhibit is not as dramatic to me as other bellflower , there ’s a trinket to the spidery blossoms . And I like that the cerise freckles are still noticeable on the interior of the slight petal . The bighearted , profoundly stinger leaves are a treat ; their feathery texture is magical and unexpected . ‘ Pink Octopus ’ is a spreader , to be sure ; it reached 12 inches tall and 32 inches wide in three years . That does n’t seem too aggressive to me , but I might need a year or two more to judge it fully . We spring up ‘ Pink Octopus ’ in a moist , full - sun garden , but I ’ve scan legion business relationship of it excelling in juiceless , shady spots .

Please do n’t yell at me but I ’m highlighting another cluster campanula:‘Bellefleur Blue ’ clustered campanula(C. glomerata‘Bellefleur Blue ’ ) . Beautiful dark violet – dismal flowers grace our plants the first twelvemonth from late spring into nightfall . The almost 1 - in - farsighted bell - shaped flush were densely cluster at the tips of stout stems . Dwarf ‘ Bellefleur Blue ’ has n’t , so far , shown its spreading nature — take form dense bushy clumps 13 inches wide the first summertime — but I gestate it to be 10 inches grandiloquent and 24 inch wide at maturity . Just as with other agglomerate campanula , you ’ll need to deadhead to keep the works depend tidy . ‘ Bellefleur Blue ’ was developed for container use but is certainly at home in the perennial garden , too .

Underperforming campanulas

More than 40 campanulas were unable to be rated in the visitation because they failed to survive more than two days . Here is a sample distribution of those plants and a abbreviated explanation of what led to their demise .

Campanula‘Milkshake’–Weak plants the first yr and severe crown red in wintertime . Gradually died out the 2d spring .

C. garganica‘Dickson ’s Gold ’ – Three attempts to grow this yellow - leaved cultivar , but sunscald weakened the plants and they died the first winter .

C. punctata‘Hot Lips ’ – Two attempts to arise this plant , but both groups died the first wintertime .

C. punctata‘Pantaloons ’ – Severe pennant dieback the first wintertime counteract the plants , which were run over by otherC. punctatacultivars .

C. pyramidalis‘Alba ’ – solution bunk and winter losses over two years .

C. trachelium – Gradually pop off over three winter .

The good, the bad, and the ugly

campanula are well-off - to - grow and trouble - free plants for well - drained , sunny to partially shaded gardens . A little wraith in the passion of the day is much appreciated in hot climates . Soggysoilsare generally a bad matter for campanula . Some coinage , however — such as milky campanula ( C. lactiflora ) , enceinte campanula ( C. latifolia ) , and Korean bellflower — prefer moist term . For most plant , though , soppy soils cause root word rot .

The easiest campanula to grow? Maybe not

We evaluate 21 cultivars of peachleaf campanula ( C. persicifolia)—more than any other species — and though wide acclaimed as an well-situated campanula to uprise , it was the least successful mathematical group in the trial due to plant departure in summertime and winter . Root rot was the most common problem .

There are several reasons to snip the spent blossoms

Deadheading encourages repetition bloom , maintains flora health , and thin or eliminates seedlings , which can keep the fecund nature of these plants in check .

Poor soil slows down the spreading

It ’s no mystery that some plants in this genus are strong-armer . Fast broadcaster — such as clustered campanula ( pictured ) , spotted campanula , and rampion bellflower campanula ( C.rapunculoides*and cvs.)—are best grown in lean soils , where the low birth rate check their rambunctious nature .

Issues are few and far between

campanula are mostly trouble - free , but slugs , rabbits , and foliar rusting can cause health and cosmetic concerns for some of them . Although any of these issues can make the industrial plant calculate unsightly , they commonly do n’t kill it ; the plant life will just look frightful for a least sandpiper .

Richard Hawke is the flora evaluation manager at theChicago Botanic Gardenin Glencoe , Illinois .

Photos , except where note : millettephotomedia.com

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Johnny ’s Selected Seeds Connecta ® Cultivation Kit

‘Caroline’ clustered campanula

‘Sarastro’ campanula,Photo: Nancy J. Ondra

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‘Sarastro’

‘Sarastro’ campanula,Photo: Nancy J. Ondra

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