Campanula medium
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- kam-pan-YOO-luh MEED-ee-um
- Description
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Canterbury Bells is a tall biennial with showy flowers in an interesting cup-and-saucer shape that appears in the summer.
This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and moist, well-draining soil and reasonably cool temperatures. Afternoon shade or filtered sunlight is necessary for warmer regions. As a biennial, only a low-growing clump or rosette of green leaves will appear in the first year, which should be well mulched in winter. The second year, Canterbury bells flowers will form, usually in summer, atop tall, upright stems. Planting a group together will help plants support each other without staking, although in windy locations stakes may be needed. Plant 12 - 15 inches apart. To have continuous blooms every year, allow some of the flower seed pods to mature and re-seed the flower bed.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Champion'
2’ tall plants with large (1 ½” wide) prolific flowers in blue or pink. - 'Double Melton Bells'
3’ tall plants with double blooms in dark and pale pink, or dark purple.
- 'Champion'
- 'Champion', 'Double Melton Bells'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Champion'
2’ tall plants with large (1 ½” wide) prolific flowers in blue or pink. - 'Double Melton Bells'
3’ tall plants with double blooms in dark and pale pink, or dark purple.
- 'Champion'
- 'Champion', 'Double Melton Bells'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Campanula
- Species:
- medium
- Family:
- Campanulaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Biennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southern Europe
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Colorful
- Easy to Grow
- Edibility:
- Beekeepers may use the Canterbury Bells for making honey.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Pyramidal
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Cup
- Saucer
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Tall spikes of 2 inches wide broadly bell-shaped flowers appear in late spring to mid-summer.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Rosulate
- Whorled
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The basal leaves are lanceolate to elliptical and 5–6 in long with a serrated leaf edge and are stalked. The upper leaves are smaller, lanceolate and sessile.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The stem is erect, robust, reddish-brown and bristly hairy.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Patio
- Walkways
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Cutting Garden
- English Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Rabbits
