Wildflower Wednesday: American Tall Bellflower

 My garden always surprises me.

I am just as surprised by what lives and thrives as I am by what barely hangs on or dies. And I am always surprised when seeds germinate and I get wonderful flowers, especially since, I have failed so often with seeds. So when I saw the blue flowers of a Tall Bellflower waving at me across the driveway I was delighted, you might even say shocked. I've been trying to get American bellflower established here for dozens of years. I've tried seeds and plants, but, nothing has taken. I didn't know I had a tall bellflower in my garden until this beauty waved to get my attention. 

 

I have no idea where this lone flower came from. It sprouted, grew and thrived in a container amongst plants I've been saving for my son's garden. Is it possible that I have created my own seed bank after years of broadcasting seeds? Or  could it have been transpooped by a visiting bird? I don't care how it got here, I just hope it will seed itself about.

However this seed got here, it germinated and bloomed. And for that I am grateful.

Campanulastrum americanum or tall bellflower prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil in part shade. I don't really have constantly moist soil unless I water often. The pot where it was found growing gets regular watering.

Tall bellflower is either a biennial or annual and it has a fairly long blooming period. To top that off, it's very attractive to bees and butterflies. A long bloom period is pretty wonderful in a native plant. 

Are wondering how it can be either an annual or biennial? If it germinates in the spring it will be an annual. If it germinates in the fall after planting seeds in late spring and overwinters as a basal rosette, it's a biennial and won't bloom until the next year. There are of course other factor like moisture, timing and sun, but I am keeping it simple!

I don't know if my lone bellflower is in its first or second year but, I am thoroughly enjoying the bright blue/lilac starry blooms scattered all along the spiky stem.

Unlike other plants in the genus Campanula that usually have bell-shaped flowers (from Latin campana meaning little bell), tall bellflower produces flowers that are, oddly, quite flat. "The star-shaped, five-lobed, light blue flowers (to 1" across), each with a distinctively curved and recurved style and a pale white ring at the throat, bloom solitary or in clusters at the leaf axils in summer (June-August). source 

American bellflower is native to moist open woods, moist meadows, streambanks, and ditches in shady areas of the Eastern United States and Canada. Plant it in rich, moist, well-drained soils in partial shade. Those of you north of middle Tennessee with cooler summers can have good luck growing it in sunny moist conditions. Here it will need more shade. 

It should readily reseed itself so plant it with plants that like similar conditions like Elymus viginicus, Carex blanda, Geranium maculatum, Geum canadense, Carex pensylvanica, Lobelia cardinalis and other shade loving native plants. I like it massed and that was my wish when I first tried growing it from seed.

Wish me luck in collecting seed and having success getting it to germinate at Clay and Limestone. 

xoxogail 

 

The Particulars

Botanical name: Campanulastrum americanum formerly known as Campanula americana 

Common names: American Bellflower, American Tall Bellflower, Tall Bellflower 

Family: Campanulaceae

Type: Annual or biennial. The life cycle is quite unique and is dictated entirely by when the seeds germinate: Fall/Winter Germination (Biennial): Seeds that drop in the late summer or fall and sprout before winter will form a tight basal rosette. They will go dormant in the cold, and then shoot up their tall, blooming stalk in their second year. Spring Germination (Annual): Seeds that wait to germinate until the following spring will usually grow, flower, and set seed all in that same single season. 

 Distribution: Native: United States--AL , AR , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN, IA, KS , KY , LA , MD , MI , MN , MS, MO , NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH , OK , PA , SC , SD , TN , VT, VA , WV, and WI ; Canada--Ontario and Quebec 

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b 

Bloom Time: June to August 

Flower Color: Blue and/or Purple/Lavender 

Flower Inflorescence:  Star shaped flowers

Dimensions:     Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.     Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. 

 

Source

 

Light:  Full sun if you have cooler summers (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)  Partial Shade for the rest of us (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Maintenance: They need regular and even moisture 

Fruits: the fruit is a capsule that changes from green to brown or gray-brown and splits open to expose the seeds. Seeds drop when ripe.

 Wildlife Value: Long-tongued bees are the primary pollinators, including bumblebees and leaf-cutting bees (Megachilidae), including the specialized bees Megachile campanulae and Colletes brevicornis. Other pollinators are Halictid bees, butterflies, and skippers. These insects seek nectar, and some of the bees collect pollen from the anthers. It also attracts hummingbirds.

Propogation: Seeds need light to germinate. Surface sow in seed starting mix or similar medium. Moist cold stratify 30-60 days then bring to 70°F. Plants self sew around plant (what I hope happens here)

Comments: Beautiful massed in a meadow or natural area. Perfect for Riparian (along streams, lakes, rivers),woodland, native, rain, shade gardens. 

 Tolerances: Deer Tolerant, Clay Soil Tolerant, Wet Soil Tolerant, and Black Walnut Tolerant 

 

Welcome to Clay and Limestone and Wildflower Wednesday.  This day is about sharing wildflowers and other native plants no matter where one gardens~the UK, tropical Florida, Europe, Australia, Africa, South America, India or the coldest reaches of Canada. It doesn't matter if we sometimes share the same plants. How they grow and thrive in your garden is what matters most. So please share your wildflowers on your favorite social media site. Share to help educate others!

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener, Tennessee Naturalist and nature writer in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.