You’ve got to love a plant that blooms this time of year in the shade–
The Tall Bellflower, (Campanula Americana) is a great plant for Southern Gardens. I marvel that more people haven’t heard of this very lovely flower.
Maybe because it’s one of those hard to classify Annual/Biennials.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what I’m talking about. It took years for me to get a handle on the biennial group.
But the journey was well worth it. Many of my favorite plants grow from seed one year, and flower the next.
Think of Campanula Americana as a taller, more heat tolerant larkspur–one that can take sun or shade.
Buy seeds once, and you’ll have this wonderful plant forever–plus plenty to share with your friends.
My original seeds came from the Fragrant path and are still available for a mere $2.
Here’s what these fine heirloom seed growers say about the plant. ( Note: They garden in Nebraska. Like many plants, Tall Bellflower behaves rather differently here in the South)
Campanula Americana (Tall Bellflower)
Strictly an annual, but when treated as a biennial will
give the more magnificent plants…
with its straight, unbranched stems to five or six feet, bearing small blue
flowers in profusion. All in all, distinctly useful and beautiful for the moist shady garden. Zone 4
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June 20, 2011 at 5:27 pm
outofmyshed
Aha! MOIST shade you say. Always problematic in my garden (and many London (UK) gardens) as so many trees make beds a tad on the dry side (not to mention nearly 3 months without water this spring). Looks gorgeous though-Campanula Americana will join my fantasy list of plants if ever we move to a bigger garden! V.best Naomi