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Bellflowers are the ultimate summer flowers, but some species can handle our winters too. Introducing five hardy bluebells.
Whether a bluebell (Campanula) is hardy or not depends crucially on its origin. If you know where your species of bluebell occurs naturally, you also know what temperatures your bluebell can cope with.
Bellflowers come mainly from the northern hemisphere, where they can still be found up to the Alps or the Caucasus. Other species come from warm regions of France or Italy. Depending on their origin, these species are more or less hardy. Therefore always inquire about which region the species of your choice comes from.
While the above-ground part of the plant often freezes in winter, the rhizome lies underground. In this storage organ, the plant collects a large part of the energy and nutrients that it needs in spring to sprout again.
5 hardy bluebell species
Many bluebell species are relatively hardy. How low the temperatures are allowed to drop depends largely on the origin of the species. Native species such as the peach-leaved bellflower (Campanula persicifolia) or the meadow bellflower (Campanula patula) have no problems with European winters. Also the Caucasus bellflower (Campanula raddeana), the tangle bellflower (Campanula glomerata) or the Alpine bellflower (Campanula alpina) are adapted to a harsh climate due to their habitat.
A little less robust is, for example, the bellflower (Campanula medium). It comes from southern Europe, but this species also tolerates sub-zero temperatures. In cold winters, however, it should be protected. The situation is similar with the star bellflower (Campanula isophylla). You can find an overview of the most important bellflower family here.
Bellflowershibernate
Winter-hardy and perennial species do not need winter protection and even sensitive bluebell species can often cope with sub-zero temperatures. Branches of conifers are suitable as protection, which are best placed over the plants in autumn. However, don't forget to remove the branches in spring when it gets warmer.
Some annual species are actually perennial, just not hardy in our latitudes. If you keep these plants in a tub or pot, you can easily overwinter them in the garage or basement between 0 °C and 10 °C. Unfortunately, annuals that have been planted out will hardly survive the winter, but simply let the plants seed and they will germinate again in spring in most cases.
For more information on how to properly care for bluebells, see this article.