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Campanulaceae FAMILY

Campanula versicolor

Campanula versicolor

Edibility
4/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Campanula versicolor is not hardy outside the milderr areas of the temperate zone, it tolerates temperatures falling for short periods to between -5 and -10°c so long as the soil is very well drained[1, PFAF]. Plants may require protection in severe winters[2], though they have proved reliable in Cornwall, southwest England (hardiness zone 8 - 9)[PFAF]. Succeeds in most fertile well-drained soils[3], though it prefers a sunny position in a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil[2, 1]. Strongly resents winter wet[2]. The plants have a basal rosette in winter and continue to grow slowly in all but the coldest weather, providing edible leaves most winters[PFAF]. The species in this genus do not often hybridize and so seed can generally be relied upon to come true[4]. The plants are self-fertile[4]. A very ornamental plant[2]. It is closely related to Campanula pyramidalis, but is more reliably perennial[4]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[3].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c[5]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Basal cuttings in spring[1]. Once they are a few years old, plants produce a number of rosettes and these can be carefully removed in the spring and used as cuttings[4]. 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. Root cuttings are said to work[4]. 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[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Campanula+versicolor>

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]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 ]).
  3. [3]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.
  4. [4]Campanulas - their cultivation and classification. — Crook. H. Clifford. · Country Life · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive treatment of the genus yet written (2002).
  5. [5]Growing from Seed. Volume 3. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1989 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  6. [6]Flora Europaea — ? · Cambridge University Press · 1964 · ISBN - ↩︎An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
  7. [7]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
  10. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎