Saturday, April 20, 2013

Tall Bellflower Taking Off

Tall Bellflower, Campanula americana, is really taking off. I started this plant from seed last year; I actually got about six of them to be successful but this was the only one to make it through the winter it seems. It was just a rosette of leaves but not it seems to be springing up to great heights.

It's a biannual, and hopefully last year didn't count. I know a lot of plants are "biannual" but also divide with underground root suckers and new corms. I know Liatris seem to do this despite their biannual status, and after examining the roots to the Fernleaf Phacelia, Phacelia bipinnatifida, I just planted it seems clear that at least some of them were connected by underground roots.

Anyhow, Tall Bellflowers don't seem to take up that much space in the garden, they grow well in shade or partial sun, Prairie Moon Nursery indicates they do well in average soil but not totally dry or totally wet. Prairie Nursery seems to say average to wet soil is best. I suspect the wetness is best to help germination along. I'm really looking forward to this one flowering and I'll probably be germinating some more seeds later in the year.