MILKY BELLFLOWER SEEDS

Campanula lactiflora

One of the biggest bellflowers, not typically so tall as C. pyramidalis, but much broader, with dozens of branching stems blooming with abandon May through July. Color is generally violet or delft blue but sometimes white. Tops out around 4' in most gardens, although we have seen it grow to nearly 5' given consistently moist fertile soil. Very nice with Joe Pye Weed and perennial sunflowers like Maximillian, as well as asters and annuals like Vanilla Ice Sunflower and Rubenza cosmos.

The many hundreds of lightly fragrant flowers are edible. Not ideal for cutting, so plant it where you can see it. This species is hardy to zone 3 but it does not like heat and it did not fare well in the Midwest at all. Best where summers are relatively cool and damp. Self-sows where it is happy.

Press seeds into moist soil and mist carefully. Cover with plastic to maintain moisture and place in bright light at cool room temperature (around 60°-65°F). Seeds germinate erratically over the course of a couple weeks. Prick out seedlings with true leaves to grow on in 6" pots at cool temperatures in bright light. Water and fertilize regularly. Do not allow soil to dry completely! Harden off before transplanting into moist fertile garden soil in full to part sun around the date of the last spring frost or in autumn.

Packet contains at least 100 seeds.