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Campanulaceae FAMILY

Campanula alliariifolia

Campanula alliariifolia

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Perennial
GrowthMedium

Campanula alliariifolia is fairly hardy-hardy, tolerating winter temperatures falling to at least -15°c[1]. Succeeds in any well-drained fertile soil[2], but prefers a moist well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil in full sun, though it also tolerates partial shade[3, 1, 4]. When grown in exposed and windy positions, plants tend to grow better when in a poor soil[5]. If the plant is cut back as the flowers fade, it will usually produce a second flush of flowers later in the season[5]. The species in this genus do not often hybridize and so seed can generally be relied upon to come true[6]. The plants are self-fertile[6]. This species tends to produce seed abundantly in cultivation and will often self-sow[6, 5]. There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value[1]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[2].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow spring in a cold frame. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c[7]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Basal cuttings in spring[3]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer. Division in spring or autumn[1]. The plant has a thick fleshy root with a number of crowns. Whilst this can be divided if great care is taken not to damage the root, it is not really recommended because the divisions take a long time to become established[6]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Campanula+alliariifolia>

Pollinators

Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  3. [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  4. [4]Plants for Ground Cover — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons · 1990 · ISBN 0-460-12609-1 ↩︎An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.
  5. [5]Campanulas - A Gardener's Guide. — Lewis. P. & Lynch. M. · B. T. Batsford. London. · 1998 · ISBN 0-7134-8266-4 ↩︎Very readable account of almost 150 members of the genus, together with their hybrids and cultivars, that are more commonly grown in gardens. Excellent photographs of many of the species.
  6. [6]Campanulas - their cultivation and classification. — Crook. H. Clifford. · Country Life · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive treatment of the genus yet written (2002).
  7. [7]Growing from Seed. Volume 3. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1989 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  8. [8]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎