Practical
Plants

Campanula medium

Canterbury Bells

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
1.2 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Edible uses

Young shoots - raw or cooked[5]. Root - cooked[5].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Material uses

Green and pale blue dyes are obtained from the flowers[3].

Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
S. Europe. Naturalized in Britain[4].
Habitat
Railway banks in the S.E. and E. Midlands of Britain[4]. Stony banks amongst calcareous rocks in Europe[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - best sown in an outdoor seedbed in May, the seedlings are transplanted when large enough and then placed in their final positions in the autumn[7]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c[2].

Cultivation

Succeeds in most fertile well-drained soils[8], though it prefers a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil in sun or partial shade[1][6]. A very ornamental plant, it is often grown in the flower garden and there are many named varieties[4]. The species in this genus do not often hybridize and so seed can generally be relied upon to come true[7]. The plants are self-fertile[7]. Plants usually self-sow in British gardens[7]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00

    ↩

  3. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  4. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  7. Crook. H. Clifford. Campanulas - their cultivation and classification. Country Life 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  8. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩1↩2

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