What Is a Campanula?
Campanula has four names, depending on where it is grown. It is also called bellflower, milk herb and harebell. Campanulas come in a wide variety of colors and shapes. These plants are useful as well as pretty in the garden, having a wide range of medicinal purposes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Natural Healing
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Campanulas are anti-fungal in nature, the root itself being used to treat heart and lung diseases. Ear drops and eye drops have been made from them and they can be imbibed as a health drink as well. The campanula is also a well-known antidepressant. Native Americans have used natural treatments made from these plants for centuries.
Growing the Campanula
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These plants prefer bright sun and also do very well in partial shade. They thrive best in soil that has been enriched with organic fertilizers such as compost and prefer well-drained soils. This perennial does not have to be replanted each year but will return on its own the following growing season. The leaves of the campanula range in color from green to dark green and some varieties are evergreen in nature. These plants can grow in height anywhere from 4 to 24 inches tall, depending on the variety of campanula grown. Some are resistant to insect pests and diseases while others are not, so there are a wide variety of mixed blessings when searching for just the right campanula to plant.
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The Flowers
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The flowers of the campanula all have five lobes and range in shape from belled, elongated or cup-shaped. They can droop downward or point straight up and have a wide variety of colors, including white, blue, many shades of pink or red, lavender, deep blue and purple. The flowers are attractive to butterflies but not to deer. These plants continue blooming longer if the old blooms are removed through a process known as deadheading, where the flowers are plucked off before they can go to seed. This causes the plant to produce more flowers while trying to create seeds.
Propagation
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The campanula can propagate by dividing, a process where the main plant begins to grow a second, smaller plant from its own roots above ground, shooting out tendrils underground that are called rhizomes, and by going to seed. Some varieties are faster growing than others, but all have the ability to spread on their own. Some campanulas are easier to grow than others, but researching the different types will help in choosing the ones that grow easiest.
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