Progress with the Campanulaceae
Two years ago, in a cold January day I was musing about various members of the bellflower family, wishing to grow more of them in my garden: Forward with Campanulaceae!.
I like this genus which includes so many good species for the rockeries and not only. There is hardly a place, from high mountains to the prairies and woodland edges, without a Campanula and/or its relatives. Most species are very showy and in most cases easy to grow from seeds with the added bonus that they flower rather fast when started from seeds.
Campanula cochleariifolia, Fairy’s Thimble
It is time for a check on my progress.
Last summer I had Campanula cochleariifolia flowering for the first time (finally, after two other Campanula I grew from seedex seeds under this name proved out to be forms of C. rotundifolia!)
Speaking of Campanula rotundifolia, a rather large form of seeds collected from Killarney area, also flowered abundantly and for a very long time. Those interested in this topic can review the subject here: Campanula rotundifolia complex.
It is a good moment to emphasize again that when you sow various Campanula and Phyteuma species from any seed exchange – they are often misnamed.
After your seedlings flower, double check the foliage/leaves/time of flowering, to see if the name you wrote on the label is true!!!
Also, the very interesting Campanula persicifolia ‘Nitida Alba’, which required some detective work to finding its right name, flowered in the rockery (Campanula persicifolia ‘Nitida Alba’ &CP).
Plus, Campanula bellidifolia put up a real show, standing up to its name!
Physoplexis comosa seedlings (right)
The lost Campanula biebersteiniana was resown (the slugs eat it down to the root two years ago) and seedlings were planted in the summer. There are also new seedlings planted of Campanula dasyantha.
Other exciting 2-years old seedlings are those of Physoplexis comosa (Tufted horned campion)! I don’t think any of them will flower this summer but I will be happy just to have them surviving this cold winter.
I will be awaiting flowering this summer from the grown up plants of Campanula glomerata, Phyteuma orbiculare and Campanula alliariifolia.
All in all, quite a good progress with the Campanulaceae 😊 Perseverance is the key.
