The beautiful bluebells herald the summer. Here's everything you need to know from planting to caring for the bluebell in the garden.
The graceful bellflower (Campanula) seems to have sprung from the world of fairies. Let yourself be enchanted by their beautiful, delicate blossoms and complement your garden with their summery freshness.
Blue flowers have always fascinated people. In the Romantic period, they were the symbol of love, longing and infinity. Many poems have been written about it. Bellflowers also adhere to these ideas, because they shine in the most diverse shades of blue.
Bellflower: Origin and Properties
Bellflowers are a very large genus of plants. They are found worldwide, but more in the northern hemisphere. As a constant companion, they can be found on the mountain meadows of the Alps as well as on the colorful flower meadows or at the edge of the forest. And because they are so delicate and beautiful, they have also conquered our gardens for over two hundred years. Most bluebells are perennial. Its bell-shaped flowers shine in the most beautiful shades between white and purple. Be it pure white, strong blue, deep purple, soft pink or spring-like lilac colors - the bluebells have it all.
Bloom of the bluebell
Bellflowers bloom all summer long, depending on the species and variety, the beautiful colorful flowers appear between May and August. The flowering period extends over a long period of time. This is perfect for pollinators like bees, hoverflies or native butterflies.
Bellflower Types and Varieties
Bellflowers are a very species-rich plant genus. Over 300 species of bluebells can be found worldwide. This does not even take into account all the varieties that have been bred in the meantime.
Peach-leaved Bellflower
You might know the peach-leaved bellflower (Campanulapersicifolia). The 'Grandiflora Coreolea' variety, which can be up to 90 cm tall, is pretty in its beautiful blue-violet colour. The dwarf variety 'Alba' of the subspecies nitida is completely different. It shines in white and is even ideal for rock gardens. More information on the peach-leaved bellflower can be found here.
Hardy Bellflower Species
Many species of bluebells are readily hardy. This includes the peach-leaved bellflower and the knotted bellflower (Campanula glomerata). More hardy bluebell species can be found here.
Bellflower
The bellflower (Campanula medium) may not be native to Germany, but it is still ideal for your garden. Its bulbous and delicate buds have the perfect bell shape. Two beautiful varieties are the pink 'Champion Pink' and the double 'White double'.
Other Bellflower Family
The bellflower family (Campanulaceae) not only includes genera that look similar to bellflowers. This family also has a few surprises to offer, be it the Hawaiian palm (Brighamia insignis) or the large lobelia (Lobelia rhynchopetalum) from Ethiopia. You can read about which other plants the bluebells are related to in our article on the bluebell family.
Buying bluebells: you should pay attention to this
Bellflowers come in all different sizes and shades of blue, purple, pink or white. Depending on the species, bluebells are more ground cover or more perennials. These are of course important decision criteria. However, you should pay particular attention to the life cycle of the plant. Most bluebells are perennials, but annual and biennial species also occur. The perennials are often hardy, but some more than others. Take this into account if you live in a harsher region. We have prepared more information on hardy bluebells for you here.
Plant Bellflower
The right location for a bluebell is definitely a sunny one. Most species feel most comfortable in full sun, but they also like light shade. The soil should be slightly moist and very well drained. The plant with the eye-catching flowers gets wet feetnot at all. A humus-rich substrate with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH is the optimal subsoil for your bellflower.
Planting bluebells in the garden
The perfect planting location is different depending on whether you have chosen a tall, small and compact or a creeping variety of bluebells. The possibilities are varied: in the rock garden, interspersed in a wild meadow, under sparse deciduous bushes, along a fence or in the middle of a perennial bed. It is important that the bellflower gets a sunny or at most slightly shady place with humus-rich or slightly humus-rich soil.
To plant the bluebell, first dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. Then put enough of the excavated and loosened soil back into the hole so that the top edge of the root ball is level with the surface of the soil when you put it in. Then add the rest of the soil around the plant ball. It is best to work some long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer into the loose soil. In this way you give your bellflower the best possible start and provide it with all the important nutrients right from the start.
Now press the plant lightly and water it well. In the right spot, bluebells will usually reproduce on their own. Not that they'll overgrow everything, but they'll sustain themselves without you having to do anything. This happens on the one hand through seeds, on the other hand through runners. You can also propagate the plant by sowing seeds or dividing it.
Summary of the right location for bluebells:
- Sunny or slightly shaded
- Slightly humus-rich to humus-rich substrate
- Earth slightly alkaline or neutral
- Good water permeability, no waterlogging
- Moist soil, only moderately moist in the rock garden
Bellflower in a pot for balcony and terrace
In the past, bluebells were particularly popular in pots. Of course, this is still possible today. The advantage is that the plant can be staged very well. Use commercially available garden soil for planting. This should be peat-free, as peat is slightly acidic and bluebells are neutral, if not slightly acidicprefer alkaline pH values. Our peat-free Plantura organic potting soil is ideal, as it optimally supplies your plants with nutrients. If you mix some sand into the soil, you can increase the water permeability. You can also place a potsherd on the bottom of the pot for optimal water drainage. Also, be sure to use a pot with a drainage hole.
Bellflowers as a houseplant
Bluebells can even be kept as indoor plants. The star bellflower (Campanula isophylla) is particularly suitable for this. This small species from the north of Italy also blooms in full bloom indoors in summer. Their requirements are similar to those of other bluebells. It loves humus-rich and well-drained substrate, slightly moist soil and lots of light. However, direct sunlight is not really their cup of tea, which is why it is better not to place them too exposed. The plant, which flowers in different shades of blue or white, is also very good in the indoor hanging basket.
Caring for Bluebells
Bellflowers are not demanding. Simply work some compost, (horse) manure or our long-term Plantura organic flower fertilizer into the soil to start growth in spring. In dry summers you should make sure that the plant gets moisture from time to time. Potted plants in particular should be watered regularly. Apart from that, bluebells do not require any other care - apart from possibly protection against frost in winter, depending on the species.
Tip: To extend the flowering period, you can cut off faded inflorescences at the base. However, it is always better to let a few plants come to seed. This allows the bluebells to reproduce naturally and establish themselves in your garden.
Winter bluebells
Most bluebells are perennial and easily hardy. These species sprout again fresh in spring. However, some biennial species such as the bellflower are only biennial and not quite as hardy. Therefore, in winter, to protect against frost, place coniferous branches over the plant. The few annual species of bluebells do not survive the winter. For more information on hardiness of bluebells, click here.
Are bluebells poisonous?
With over 300 species, the bluebells are a very extensive genus. There is general disagreement as to whether some of these species are poisonous. What is certain, however, is that they are not fatal to humans. ThatPoisoning is also very unlikely. On the contrary: the flowers of the plants are even edible. It may be different for some pets. It is therefore not advisable to feed bluebells specifically. You can find out more about the toxicity of bluebells here.