Practical
Plants

Campanula rapunculus

Rampion

a biennial member of the Campanula genus in the family Campanulaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial
Height
0.9 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - raw or cooked[6][15][12][13][2][5]. A very nice sweet flavour[10], reminiscent of walnuts[6]. They are best mixed with other root vegetables and used in winter salads[6][16]. Leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb[6][15][16][10][12][13][2][5]. A fairly bland flavour, with a hint of sweetness, they are quite acceptable raw in salads[K]. The leaves are rich in vitamin C, they make an acceptable winter salad[14]. Young shoots in spring can be blanched and cooked like asparagus[5].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
Europe - Mediterranean. Introduced in Britain[4].
Habitat
Hedgerows, woodland edges, fields etc[16], usually on gravelly soils in Britain[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow May/June in situ. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c[3].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily cultivated plant, it prefers a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil in sun or partial shade[1][14][7], though it succeeds in most good soils[14]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.8 to 7.5. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[7]. Plants often self-sow in the garden[11]. The species in this genus do not often hybridize and so seed can generally be relied upon to come true[8]. The plants are self-fertile[8]. Rampion was formerly often cultivated for its edible root, though it has fallen into virtual disuse[14]. When grown for its edible root, the plant should not be allowed to flower[14]. Plants can be grown in a meadow[7]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[9].

References

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

    ↩

  2. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  10. Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8

    ↩1↩2

  11. Lewis. P. & Lynch. M. Campanulas - A Gardener's Guide. B. T. Batsford. London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-7134-8266-4

    ↩

  12. Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  13. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  14. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  15. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩1↩2

  16. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

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