Growing Guide
 
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Bellflower, Great

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Campanula latifolia
Campanulaceae Family

A good choice for a perennial border background, this tall, showy, erect, unbranching perennial bears clusters of bell-like violet or white blooms.

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Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun
  • part shade

Soil conditions:

  • requires well-drained soil
  • requires high fertility

Hardiness zones:

  • 4 to 8
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: moderately difficult

Height: 2 to 4 feet

Spread: 1 to 2 feet

Bloom time:

  • early summer
  • mid-summer

Flower color:

  • violet
  • white

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: upright

Shape in flower:

  • same as above
  • flower stalks with flowers as cups

The blooms are borne in clusters of up to 3 in the axils of the stem's upper leaves.

Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • aggressive - Self-seeds prolifically and spreads rapidly by running roots.
  • non-invasive
  • not native to North America - Native to Europe and Asia Minor
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by seed, division or separation - Divide in spring or fall. Self-seeds prolifically.

Maintenance and care:
Usually requires staking. Remove faded flowers, or cut back entire flower stalk when mostly faded. Cut before seeds mature to prevent widespread self-seeding. Cut plants back by 1/3 after blooming to encourage compact growth and rebloom. If foliage becomes unsightly after blooming, cut back to basal foliage. Mulch heavily for winter.

More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Pests:
Slugs and snails
Spider mites
Aphids
Vine weevils
Diseases:
Powdery mildew
Septoria leaf spot
Ramularia leaf spot
Rust
Southern blight
Varieties
'Brantwood': 2 1/2' tall plants with deep blue-violet blooms.

'Gloaming': 2' tall plants with smoky blue blooms.