Peach-leaved bellflower

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps in hot summers.

Water

Moderate; keep the root zone evenly moist while establishing and water during prolonged dry spells. Avoid waterlogged ground.

Soil

Well-drained, moderately fertile soil, preferably neutral to alkaline; tolerates slightly acidic soil.

Height

1.5-3 ft (0.45-0.9 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Early to midsummer, with occasional later flowers after deadheading; blue, violet-blue or white.

Foliage

Narrow, glossy green leaves form low basal rosettes, with smaller leaves along the flowering stems. Basal leaves may persist through mild winters.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Water new plants regularly through their first growing season, then during extended dry weather.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy feeding, which encourages floppy stems.
• Mulch around plants to conserve moisture, keeping mulch clear of the crowns.
• Support tall stems with twiggy stakes or a small plant ring before flowers open in exposed sites.
• Divide crowded or declining clumps every three to four years in spring or early autumn.

Pruning. Remove fading flowers regularly, or cut spent flower stems back to the basal leaves to encourage a smaller second flush. In autumn or late winter, remove dead stems without cutting away healthy basal foliage.

Early spring

Remove dead growth, check crowns for winter damage and apply a thin layer of compost.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, water thoroughly and protect young shoots from slugs.

Late spring

Install discreet supports where stems are likely to lean or catch the wind.

Summer

Water during dry spells and remove spent flowers to prolong the display.

Late summer

Leave a few seedheads if you want replacement seedlings; remove the rest to limit spread.

Early autumn

Divide established clumps in mild regions while the soil is still warm; in cold regions, wait until spring.

• Plant in small groups through cottage borders, where the upright flower stems rise above lower, spreading plants.
• Combine blue forms with pale roses and hardy geraniums for a soft early-summer display.
• Use white forms among ferns and other shade-tolerant perennials at a bright woodland edge.
• Repeat clumps along a mixed border to link denser groups of peonies, irises and lady's mantle.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, English country, Romantic rose garden, Blues and silvers, Pastel border and Pollinator garden.

Plant it with: Roses, Hardy geraniums, Lady's mantle, Peonies, Siberian irises and Foxgloves.

Wildlife: The open flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, including bumblebees and bellflower-associated solitary bees.

• Slugs and snails can eat emerging shoots: inspect at dusk, remove them by hand and use labelled iron-phosphate bait where needed.
• Rust can cause orange-brown pustules on leaves: remove affected foliage, improve spacing and avoid wetting leaves when watering.
• Crown and root rot occur in saturated soil: improve drainage or move plants to a raised position, and discard badly rotted crowns.
• Stems may flop in rich soil or deep shade: reduce feeding, provide more light and support stems before flowering.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses; no parts are known to cause serious poisoning. Eating garden plants can still cause mild stomach upset, and treated plants should not be eaten.

• Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides)

  Has broader, often heart-shaped lower leaves and many smaller, nodding flowers arranged mainly along one side of the stem.

• Nettle-leaved bellflower (Campanula trachelium)

  Has rough, hairy stems and broad, sharply toothed, nettle-like leaves rather than narrow, smooth leaves.

• Milky bellflower (Campanula lactiflora)

  Usually forms a taller, bushier plant with branched clusters of many smaller flowers rather than large bells spaced along slender stems.

Campanula means 'little bell', while persicifolia means 'peach-leaved', referring to the narrow leaves that resemble those of a peach tree.

Propagation. Divide clumps in spring or early autumn, or sow seed on the surface of moist seed compost without burying it deeply. It may self-seed in open soil; seedlings from named cultivars may differ from the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Campanula persicifolia

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Finland and France.

Measured

Average height 40 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.