How to Grow Bellflowers (Campanula)

Growing Bellflower Perennial Plants Your Home Flower Garden

Perennial Bellflower plants are a member of the Campanula flower family. Bellflowers have beautiful bell-shaped blooms with flaring petals. The blooms are very showy. The plants prefer full sun but tolerate partial shade. Try growing bellflowers to light up a partly shaded garden. Blooms usually begin in July and last through to the first frost.

As its name suggests, Bellflowers have bell-shaped blooms. The colors come in shades of blue, purple, and purple-pink. The flowers last several days.

Bellflowers make good cut arrangements for vases and indoor displays.

Flowers Bloom: Early Summer through Fall.

Plant Height: Up to 3 feet, depending upon variety.

Perennial, Campanula

Bellflower Plant Propagation

The plants are grown from seed. Bellflower seeds are tiny. They can be directly seeded into your flower garden or started indoors for transplanting later. If planting outdoors, sow Bellflowers seeds after the soil has begun to warm in the spring. For indoor starts, start them 3-4 weeks before the last frost in your area.

Sow seeds early in the season and cover lightly with 1/8″ soil. Space seeds or seedlings 12-18″ apart.

How to Grow Perennial Bellflower Plants

Bellflower plants are very easy to grow.

They prefer full sun but also do well in a light, partial shade.

Bellflower plants grow best in average, well-drained soil.

They tolerate dry soil conditions. Water plants during dry periods, once or twice per week. Keep the soil, moist, not wet.

Add a general-purpose fertilizer once or twice a season.

In rich soil, Bellflower will grow 24-36 inches tall. They fit well in the middle of your garden landscape or mixed in around rock gardens.

Once your Bellflowers are established, they will grow well and bloom until frost. Being very hardy, they will likely survive the first light frosts before going dormant for the winter.

Keep young plants well-weeded until they get established. Add a thick layer of mulch to keep weeds down, and to help retain soil moisture.

They do not require mulching or protection in the winter.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 8.0.

Also, See:

Plant Problems – causes and cures

Insects and Plant Disease

Bellflower are resistant to insects and disease. If insect or disease problems occur, treat early with organic or chemical insect repellents and fungicide.