Bluebell Bellflower

Campanula rotundifolia

Native to:
Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Føroyar, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kuril Is., Labrador, Netherlands, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Campanulaceae
Genus:
Campanula
Species:
Campanula rotundifolia
USDA Symbol:
CARO2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
45 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
jun,jul,aug,sep
Bloom Colors:
blue, violet, white

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Butterflies & Moths:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Frigid Bumble Bee (Bombus frigidus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
bees, butterflies
Deer Resistant:
Yes
Fire Ecology:
Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
Fire Notes:
Resprouts from rootstock following fire; found in fire-maintained prairies and meadows.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
Thrives in rocky or gravelly soils

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
Germination Time:
14–28 days
Notes:
Seeds require light for germination; do not cover. Surface sow and keep moist.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI

Pre-treatment: Mix the seeds with an equal amount of vermiculite or perlite. Put mixture into a sealed container and proceed with 1-3 months of moist cold stratification in a cool dry place. Alternatively, seeds can be imbibed in water, and rolled in moist paper towels inserted into an opened ziplock bag. Seeds are stratified at 1 to 3 C.

Establishment: Seeds are collected by hand from locally native plants or mature capsules when they begin to split at the base and turn tan in color. Seed is black at maturity. Seeds are collected and stored in paper bags prior to cleaning. The plant is found in dry woodlands, rocky outcrops, and sandy shorelines. Full sun to light shade. Blue-violet bell shaped flower. 4"-12" in height. C. rotundifolia is a circumboreal species that occurs south to Texas, Mexico, and California. It is found from the foothills and plains to the alpine.

Source: npn.rngr.net

ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20C. Germinates within 3 months.

Source: Ontario Rock Garden & Hardy Plant Society