Campanula: Growing and Caring Tips

Campanula flowers are delightful purple flowers. One look at their cheery nodding heads relays a happy disposition to the eyes of the beholder. They are every gardener’s favorite!

Growing Campanula flowers can be challenging. You have to maintain the soil, by making sure it is always well drained, and maintain its water intake by providing a good amount of water at least twice a week. Provide enough sunlight as they require full sun to bloom and temperature. You must also keep them away from pests and protect them from the weather.

If you master how to grow them in your garden, you can enjoy their glorious blooms all throughout the season. To spend your money, opt for natural aesthetics instead of overspending on landscaping. This could be exactly what your old fence needs. If you plan on growing Campanula flowers in your backyard, you will want to read this guide.

Campanula Flowers Plant Details

In Latin, “campanula” means “bell” — thus, they are called bellflowers. They make a great groundcover that brings any ordinary cottage or rock garden to life. Their long, flowering display is a true feast for the eyes. 

Bellflowers are common in many regions across the globe. But they thrive best where the weather is sunny and the temperature is moderate. June and July are the best to see luscious blooms of campanula flowers. If the weather permits, campanulas’ blooming season stretches to October.

Campanula is a massive class of plants with many varieties. There are over 300 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants. Each species varies in size and color. Some varieties can grow as tall as twelve to fifteen inches. These bellflowers are pompous, tall, and green, and perfect for your borders. Others have dwarf sizes that only grow two to three inches. These types of campanula flowers are creeping and ground spreading, perfect for edging.

Campanula flowers have open cup-shaped flowers. They vary in light pink, white, blue, or lavender hues. The perfect weather for any campanula variety is sunny weather; bellflowers love sunlight! Place your campanula flowers in a sunny spot and you are in for joyful blooms.

General Care Tips for Campanula

The idea of growing Campanula flowers at home may sound tricky. But, if you follow these tips, you will reap rewards through these bellflowers at your home.

1. Water your campanula flowers at least twice a week. It is best to water from the ground to avoid the flowers and foliage from getting wet.
   
2. Plant your campanula flowers in a sunny or partially shaded area. Bellflowers love sunlight and grow luscious blooms when placed under direct sunlight.

3. When potting your bellflowers, make sure their soil drains well. Do not soak your campanula roots in moist soil because it will lead to root rotting and death.

4. If you want to encourage long-lasting luscious blooms, prune. You can cut four to five inches from its top right after its root nodes. You can also cut them shorter from the ground. These are good methods for transplanting or propagating your bellflowers.

5. Remove wilting flowers to avoid spreading to fresh flowers. This will encourage campanula flowers to self-seed and bloom more. 

6. Fertilize your campanula plants at least twice a month. Treating your campanula flowers with nutrients will give you blooms throughout the year.

Five Common Varieties of Campanula

With so many varieties, you can choose your favorite Campanula flower! Among the five common varieties of Campanula flowers are the following:

1. Bluebells – this is the most common among the varieties of campanula flowers. You will see these Bluebells in the outskirts of North America. They are a common and cheerful sight in most gardens at home.

2. Carpathian Harebell – this variety is common in regions with cold weather. The Carpathian Harebell is cold-resistant and can withstand frost. This type of bellflower is perfect for your borders as it can grow up to 12 inches.

3. Dwarf Bellflowers – this Campanula flower variety thrives best under tropical weather. This kind is popular in Southeast Asian countries. You can find them in hotel patios and terrace gardens. Dwarf Bellflowers are the natural cure to any boring rock gardens or wall crevices. Its width compensates for its dwarf size. While it can grow to only three inches, it has a spread up to 15 inches, making it a perfect groundcover.

4. Scottish Bluebells – also known as the Bluebell of Scotland. They are common in the British Isles. They are the shy type among the Campanula varieties. They bear slender flowers of pale blue or violet hues, and their stems are slim. Thus, strong winds are a threat to these bellflowers. It is best to propagate this variety during summers. Despite their fragile nature, the Bluebells of Scotland are no less beautiful. Planting these flowers in July will yield a beautiful display through November.

5. American Bellflowers – this one is a favorite variety by many since it stands out among its kind. It does not bear the usual bell-shaped or cupped-shaped flower common amongst bellflowers. It has five spiky petals, and its flowers are blue-violet. The American Bellflowers are 3 to 4 inches in height and on occasion, they bloom in clusters.

Growing Considerations

When planting Campanula flowers, you should always consider the weather. If you live in a tropical area, this might not be a concern. But, for those living in areas with snow or cold, remember bellflowers like sunlight. Plant them during summertime and keep them in a sunny spot. Make sure the soil is well-drained. July is the best month to plant Campanula flowers. The weather is warm enough for seeds to grow and humid enough to keep the soil drained.

It is important to consider the right variety of Campanula flowers to plant. How do you want them to grow? If you aim for a groundcover, choose the Dwarf Bellflower. If you want bellflowers as borders, consider planting Bluebells. With a wide selection, you will be able to choose what will thrive in your area.

Space is not an issue when planting Campanula flowers. Whether you have a home garden or are living in a small apartment, you can grow this plant! The key is to find a sunny area in your garden or home. You do not need fancy pots for your bellflowers. You may use recyclable materials found in your pantry. If you have a garden, take a fistful of seeds and scatter them in your yard. It is that easy!

How to Propagate Campanula

Propagation is the key to enjoying these cheery flowers throughout the year. This allows you to grow more in a cheap way. You can also nurture plants from their very beginnings, which is definitely rewarding. There are three ways to propagate Campanula flowers. Through seeds, transplantation, or division.

How to propagate from seeds

Most bellflower varieties are self-seeding. Yet, some people prefer to collect their seeds from the mother plant. Manual transplantation often yields great results of propagation.

You should avoid spring when planting seeds. It is ideal to plant seeds at least eight to ten weeks before spring. This is to ensure that your bellflower seeds have good sun and the soil is moderate temperature.

To prepare for planting seeds, you need a good potting mix or moist peat and a seed-starting tray. Once you have these ready, you can start planting your Campanula flower seeds right away.

• These seeds are generally tiny. Fill each slot in the tray with three seeds.
• If you have a garden, you can scatter seeds. 
• Rake through the area where you scattered them to cover the seedlings. After three to four weeks, you will begin seeing sprouts.

Propagating by Transplanting

There are important gardening practices to observe to achieve successful propagation through transplantation. It is best if your seedlings reach a height of three to four inches before you transplant. When using this method to propagate, you need to: 

• Prepare a potting mix and pot. Make sure your pots have drainage holes. Campanula flowers love to grow in well-drained soil. 
• Place your pots in a sunny spot.
• When transplanting, make a bigger hole in your pot to accommodate the seedling. Create the right depth for the seedling to have room to root. 
• Water your seedlings immediately after transplanting.

Propagating Through Division

This is the perfect method to propagate during Springtime. Campanula flowers produce new growth during this period. This is quite common among Campanula cluster varieties. Digging is key to a successful division! 

• Uproot your Campanula flowers by digging at least eight inches from the ground up. 
• Use a shovel as a guide to avoid hurting the roots. 
• Once uprooted, divide the mother plant from the new ones with your hands or knife. 
• Replant into a hole with an eight-inch depth, with moist peat, and cover the top surface well. Do not forget to water immediately after.

Why Settle for Campanula flowers?

Campanula flowers offer a welcoming sight that relieves stress. They are also easy to care for which makes them perfect for the busy person. Its wide variety will make your garden blooming with color! 

So, are you ready for the challenge of growing Campanula flowers? Share your photos if you have them in your homes!

Other Purple Flowers

Take a look at our full list of beautiful purple flowers. Let us know which one is your favorite!