What Does the Ladybell Flower Look Like? A Detailed Guide to Its Benefits and Uses
Today we introduce a plant often used in Guangdong soup-making: the ladybell (Campanulaceae family) flower "shashen" (ladybell root). Its edible value includes nourishing the lungs and kidneys, clearing heat and resolving phlegm, and moistening the lungs to stop coughs, with particular effectiveness against lung-heat coughs and excess phlegm. Its blooming period is concentrated in autumn (August to October), and after blooming the flowers resemble little bells; the buds are mostly white and elongated-oval, with graceful flower shapes and a rich variety of colors.
Shashen is also known as nan shashen (southern ladybell root) and is mainly distributed across Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan and nearby areas in China. Its flower language is honesty, gentleness and everlasting love, making it very suitable as a gift for elders or a loved one.
Potted plants are easy to buy on the flower market. In terms of care, it has high light requirements, needing 6 hours of sunlight; the suitable growing temperature is between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. It is not heat-tolerant, so in summer when temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius it needs protection from harsh sun, and shade tools should be added for it. It is not cold-tolerant either; as long as the overall temperature hovers around zero degrees, the plant will enter a state of stopped growth.
For home care, the key point is ventilation, because it does not like soggy soil. Its water requirement is moisture, so although it needs frequent watering, be careful not to let water accumulate at the bottom of the pot, otherwise the roots rot easily. Drip irrigation or sprinkler irrigation is recommended, and the irrigation amount should be controlled.
As for soil, shashen should be given a loose, well-draining medium. Pure yellow earth, red rock soil and similar textures are not recommended; sandy or gritty soil is suggested.
As for fertilizing, shashen needs plenty of fertilizer, and the more the better. The fertilizer is generally barnyard manure, green manure, kang soil and plant ash, while for routine feeding you can pair it with phosphate fertilizer, such as Huaduoduo No. 2 or potassium dihydrogen phosphate, or you can use a complete fertilizer.
Shashen has quite a few pests and diseases, and routine care should also watch out for aphid root-knot nematode disease, rust disease, stem borers, shashen virus and so on. If you only find a small number of eggs, just cut them off with scissors and throw them away; you can also spray a little chili water or edible vinegar on the leaves to remove pests. If there are many pests, you need to buy a suitable insecticide from the flower shop, usually applying it once every 10 days for 2 to 3 consecutive sprays.