How to Grow and Care for Bellflowers in Your Garden

Bellflowers, or Campanula, are native to the Northern Hemisphere and are incredibly versatile, as they can be grown as perennials, biennials, or annuals, depending on your hardiness zone and the species you select.

The blooms vary in color but include beautiful blues, purples, and white and the plants can be trailing, clumping, or upright. Read on to learn how to grow and care for bellflowers in your garden.

Common Name	Bellflower
Botanical Name	Campanula
Family	Campanulaceae
Plant Type	Perennial, biennial, annual
Mature Size	6 inches to 2.5 feet
Sun Exposure	Full sun to partial shade
Soil Type	Loam, sand
Soil pH	Neutral, alkaline
Bloom Time	Summer
Flower Color	Blue, purple, white
Hardiness Zones	3a-8b
Native Area	Europe, temperate Asia
Toxicity	Deer resistant

Bellflower Care

• Plant bellflowers in a spot that receives full to partial sunlight in moist, well-draining soil.
• Be mindful that perennial and biennial bellflowers spread by rhizomes under the soil, so they could become invasive.
• Divide the plants every three to five years to prevent them from spreading indiscriminately.
• Hardy and pest-resistant, the foliage can still be riddled by slugs primarily.

Light

Bellflowers should be planted where they receive full to partial sunlight.

Soil

You will get the hardiest plants and most flowers if the soil is loamy with good drainage.

Water

Bellflowers prefer moist soil, but it should not be soggy.

Temperature and Humidity

Hardy down to zone 3b on the USDA hardiness map, bellflowers prefer cooler temperatures and moderate humidity.

Fertilizer

Apply a balanced fertilizer in the spring as new growth forms.

Types of Bellflowers

There are many species of Campanula, including:

• Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides): Produces five-lobed, bell-shaped, bluish-purple flowers (each to 1” long) with flaring petals rising well above the leaf clump. Flowers bloom from June to August. This invasive perennial plant is not recommended for planting in garden areas.
• Fairy bellflower (Campanula persicifolia): An upright rosette-forming perennial that typically grows on stiff sturdy stems to 1 1/2 - 3' tall. Produces large, outward-facing, bell-shaped flowers (to 1.5”) in shades of white to blue in late spring to early summer. A large number of cultivars are available including 'Chettle Charm', 'Kelly's Gold' and 'Telham Beauty'.
• Carpathian bellflower (Campanula carpatica): A low-growing, perennial species with showy blue, purple, or white upward-facing bell-shaped flowers that thrive in cooler climates. Cultivars include 'Blue Clips', 'Rapido Blue', 'Rapido White', and 'White Clips'.
• Clustered bellflower (Campanula glomerata): An upright perennial that produces upward-facing, bell-shaped, violet to lavender-blue flowers. Blooms in late spring to early summer. Cultivars include 'Joan Elliott', 'Schneekrone' ('Snow Crown'), and 'Superba'
  
• Canterbury bells (Campanula punctate): Also known as spotted bellflowers, this is an upright, clump-forming perennial which typically grows 1-2' tall with large, drooping, white to pale pink, flowers with purple spotting inside the bell shape. Cultivars include 'Cherry Bells' and 'Pink Chime'.
  
• American bellflower: (Campanula americana): A tall, upright annual or biennial bellflower, native to eastern North America. Can grow up to 6 feet tall and produce star-shaped, five-lobed, light blue flowers.
• Trailing bellflower (Campanula isophylla): Also called Star of Bethlehem, Jerusalem Star, or Italian Bellflower, this plant is not frost-hardy and is often grown as an annual or houseplant. It requires about 15 hours of daylight before flower buds will develop. Cultivars include 'Alba' and 'Mayi'.

Pruning

Bellflowers do not require pruning other than removing spent flower stalks and dead leaves. Many stay green throughout temperate winters.

Propagating

Bellflowers can be propagated by cuttings or by dividing plants. To propagate from cuttings you will need garden snips, a small pot, potting soil, and a plastic bag:

1. With a clean pair of snips, cut a three to four-inch new shoot that has emerged in the spring.
2. Remove the bottom leaves about two inches up the steam and cut the top leaves in half to reduce stress on the plant.
3. Bury the cut end around two inches into well-draining soil and keep the soil moist. Place a plastic bag over the plant to keep in the moisture while it is forming roots.
4. Move to a larger pot or a prepared spot in the garden when the plant has firmly established roots and new growth appears.

To divide existing garden plants, you will need a shovel and a sharp garden trowel. This is best done in early spring:

1. Loosen the soil around the plant and prepare the new planting area.
2. Use the shovel to cut into the ground about 8 inches all around the plant and at least a foot deep.
3. Use the shovel to lift the plant and soil.
4. Use a sharp garden trowel or your hands to vertically divide the plant into smaller clumps.
5. Replant the divided clumps in holes making sure that the soil level is at or, preferably, a bit below where it originally was on the stems of the plants. Water well.

How to Grow Bellflowers From Seed

While you can grow bellflowers from seed, you'll need patience because they won't produce blossoms until the second growing season.

1. About 10 weeks before the last frost, start your seeds indoors. Sprinkle seeds on well-draining, rich soil in a seed tray.
2. Cover lightly with a seed-starting mix. They need bright light and warmth to germinate.
3. Cover the seed tray with a plastic bag or humidity dome and keep the soil moist.
4. Bellflowers take a long time to germinate, at least 20 to 30 days.
5. Once the seedlings are three to four inches tall and have at least four leaves, they can be moved outside to harden off for at least one week before planting.

The seeds can also be directly sown into garden soil once the risk of frost has passed. Evenly distribute the seeds in loose, loamy soil and water regularly to keep the soil moist.

Potting and Repotting

If you are growing bellflowers in a container, choose a dwarf or trailing cultivar to complement other plants. Use good potting soil and a container that drains well.

Keep the container in a sunny location. Most container-grown bellflowers are treated as annuals. However, if you are growing a taller cultivar, it can be transplanted into the garden.

Overwintering

Garden-grown bellflowers require no special care for overwintering. In most temperate areas, the foliage will remain green throughout the winter. If an exceptionally hard freeze is expected, mulch the plants with organic material.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Bellflowers are hardy plants that resist most diseases and pests. In damp, humid areas, rust may as leaf spots on the underside of leaves. Remove infested leaves and water bellflowers at the base to reduce the risk of this disease.

To prevent powdery mildew, space bellflowers for good air circulation. Usually pest-free, the exception is garden slugs, which can riddle the foliage.

How to Get Bellflowers to Bloom

To keep bellflowers blooming profusely, provide plenty of sun and keep the soil moist, but not soggy.

Divide garden bellflower clumps every two to five years to give the plants room to spread and produce new growth that encourages blooms. Amend the soil with organic matter or use a well-balanced fertilizer.

Common Problems with Bellflowers

Certain species of bellflowers can be invasive and overtake the garden. Another issue is overwatering or poor drainage which leads to leaves turning yellowish-brown or developing soft spots.