- Carithers Flowers Main Website- Wikipedia: BellFlower

BellFlower

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Bellflower (Campanulaceae) is a group of 84 genera and about 2,400 species of mostly herbaceous (nonwoody) annual, biennial, and perennial plants, many with showy, blue, bell-like flowers. The flower is found naturally in many countries of the Northern Hemisphere, especially in northern temperate and tropical regions (at higher elevations). They vary in size and habit of growth with most having five-part flowers with united petals and alternate simple leaves. The ovary in most species is inferior (i.e., positioned below the other floral parts). Some are suitable for rock gardens, some for flower borders; some for wild or woodland gardens, and some for containers or window box gardens. Bellflowers are usually herbs, rarely trees or shrubs, with blue, lavender or white flowers blooming singly or in clusters.

Campanulaceae has also been known as the bluebell family. Examples of perennial bellflowers include C. persicifolia 'Telham Beauty’: a beautiful, erect growing plant that grows to about 3 feet tall with a one foot spread. Its leaves are bright green and its large, swaying, bell-shaped flowers are a pretty soft blue color. They are borne in thin, upright spikes in the summer.

Growing Recommendations - BellFlower

The cut flowers have a fairly long vase life. Another perennial bellflower is the C. glomerata 'Superba', a vigorous plant that grows up to 30 inches high and spreads 3 feet or more. It produces large, bell-shaped purplish-blue flowers in the summer. A great perennial bellflower for a border or edge of a woodland garden with partial sunshine is C. lactiflora 'Prichard's Variety' (Milky Bellflower). This upright plant grows 30 to 36 inches high with a 24-inch spread. It forms narrow, oval, green leaves along the stems and large, bunches of bell-shaped, violet-blue flowers from early summer to mid fall.

Photos of BellFlowers

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