Grow Bellflowers Like This: Master the Method for More Blooms

Bellflower is the common name for Campanula, a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Campanulaceae, named for its plump, swollen buds that look like little bells. Once open, the flowers are bell-shaped or star-shaped, with common colors including blue-purple, white and pink; the plant has a delicate form and high ornamental value.

Bellflowers prefer a sunny, cool and well-ventilated environment, have fairly good cold tolerance, and are suitable for planting in loose, fertile, well-drained soil. Its root system is thick and fleshy, a taproot type; it tolerates drought but fears waterlogging. It enters its flowering period in summer, and a single flower stays open for a long time, making it a common ornamental flower for courtyards and balconies.

When caring for bellflowers, water by the rule of letting the soil dry before watering again, and never let the potting soil stay waterlogged for long, or the roots will easily rot. During the growing season you can apply some diluted liquid fertilizer, and as flowering approaches, supplement appropriately with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to produce more blooms and richer flower color. After flowering, promptly cut off the spent flowers to reduce nutrient consumption and help the plant recover.

When growing in pots, choose a relatively deep pot to leave enough room for the roots to grow. The most common problems in routine care are root rot from overwatering, or leggy stems and fewer flowers from insufficient light; as long as you ensure good light and drainage, bellflowers are not difficult to grow. Besides their ornamental use, their roots also have a folk tradition of being used as food and medicine, making this a flower with both ornamental and practical value.