An Introduction to the Characteristics, Growing Habits and Uses of the Lance Asiabell Flower

The lance asiabell flower is the bloom of the lance asiabell (Codonopsis lanceolata), a plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae and the genus Codonopsis. This perennial herbaceous vine is also known among local people as four-leaf ginseng, whorled-leaf codonopsis and mountain sea snail, and it is mainly found at forest edges and in thickets in Northeast China, North China and other regions.

Its flowers are mostly solitary, with a broad bell-shaped corolla that droops downward, yellowish green on the outside and often marked with purple streaks on the inside, and they generally open from summer to early autumn. The stems are slender and can twine around other objects to climb upward, while the leaves on the short side branches are often arranged in whorls of four, which is how the alias four-leaf ginseng came about. The underground root is spindle-shaped, thick and fleshy.

The lance asiabell flower likes a cool, moist, semi-shaded environment, fears blazing sun and also fears waterlogged potting soil, so when cultivating it you should choose a loose, fertile humus soil with good drainage. Because it is a vine, whether grown in a pot or in the ground, you can set up a support for it to twine and climb. Keep the soil slightly moist during the growing season and provide some shade in summer, and the plant will grow more vigorously.

Its ornamental value lies in the distinctive drooping little bell-shaped flowers, and it is worth growing for both its blooms and its foliage, making it suitable for accenting a courtyard or balcony. The thick, spindle-shaped underground root is a traditional Chinese medicinal material, and in some mountainous areas of Northeast China it is also eaten as a wild vegetable. Note that the lance asiabell flower has nothing to do with goat's milk; it is named only because a milky white sap seeps from the cut end of the root and stem, so if you want to use it medicinally or as food, be sure to consult a professional first and do not dig it up at will.