Milky Bellflower
Showy and long-lived, Campanula lactiflora (Milky Bellflower) provides a stately presence in the garden with its tall, multi-branched stems producing hundreds of small star-like flowers in open clusters.
Campanula lactiflora, commonly known as the Milky Bellflower, is a notable member of the Campanulaceae family. This species is native to the Caucasus, northeastern Turkey, and northern Iran.
Description: Campanula lactiflora is a perennial plant prized for its elegance and grace. It forms an upright, open mound of light green leaves that nicely contrast with its deep lavender to white flowers.
Growth Habit: This plant grows in an upright, clump-forming habit and can reach considerable sizes when well-established.
Size: Campanula lactiflora typically grows to a height of 3-5 feet (90-150 cm), with a spread of about 2-3 feet (60-90 cm).
Flowers: This species produces clusters of beautiful, star-shaped flowers that are typically deep lavender to white. Each flower is about an inch (2.5 cm) long, with five petal lobes flaring outward.
Foliage: The plant has light green leaves that are toothed and lance-shaped. The foliage forms an open mound, providing a beautiful backdrop to the showy flowers.
Blooming Season: Blooming usually occurs in mid to late summer.
Hardiness: It’s hardy to USDA zones 5-8, making it suitable for a wide range of climates.
Uses: This plant is often used in borders, cottage gardens, and wildflower meadows. Its tall, robust growth habit also makes it an excellent choice for background planting.
Pollinators: The bell-shaped flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.
Deer and Rabbit: Deer generally avoid this plant, but rabbits may graze on the foliage.
Invasiveness: It’s not considered invasive and is generally well-behaved in the garden.
Key Facts: This species is prized for its lengthy bloom period and its tendency to self-seed, often creating delightful natural drifts in the garden. Despite its common name, the Milky Bellflower, the ‘lactiflora’ part of its name actually refers to the milky-white latex in the plant’s stems and leaves, not the color of its flowers.
Campanula lactiflora, or Milky Bellflower, is a worthy addition to your garden for a variety of reasons:
Long Blooming Period: This species has a lengthy blooming period, typically from July to September, providing your garden with stunning color throughout the summer.
Attractive to Pollinators: Its bell-shaped flowers are a magnet for beneficial pollinators, including bees and butterflies, which can help other plants in your garden as well.
Easy to Grow: It’s a hardy plant that adapts to a variety of soil conditions and climates (USDA zones 5-8).
Versatility in the Garden: Campanula lactiflora fits in well in various garden styles, including cottage gardens, wildflower meadows, or as part of a mixed border. Its height makes it an excellent choice for background planting.
Naturalization: This plant has a tendency to self-seed, creating natural drifts in the garden that can provide a delightful, informal appearance.
Deer Resistant: Deer typically avoid this plant, which can be a significant advantage in areas where deer are common.
Remember, Campanula lactiflora isn’t just about the aesthetics; its value in promoting biodiversity, specifically beneficial insects, is also noteworthy. This is especially crucial in our current times, where pollinator-friendly plants are needed to counter the declining pollinator populations.
| Hardiness |
5 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
5 - 7 |
| Climate Zones | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Perennials |
| Genus | Campanula |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Summer (Mid, Late) |
| Height |
3' - 5' (90cm - 150cm) |
| Spread |
2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam |
| Soil pH | Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Showy |
| Tolerance | Deer, Rabbit |
| Attracts | Butterflies, Bees |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs |
| Garden Styles | Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden |
Incorporating Campanula lactiflora, or Milky Bellflower, into your garden design can add significant color, texture, and height. Here are some ideas for creating a beautiful design:
Mixed Borders: Campanula lactiflora has a medium to tall height that makes it perfect for use in mixed borders. They can be placed behind shorter plants to create depth and visual interest.
Cottage Gardens: Milky Bellflower fits perfectly into cottage garden designs. It’s informal charm and profuse flowering help create that bountiful, relaxed look characteristic of cottage gardens.
Woodland Gardens: It is suitable for woodland gardens, where it can naturalize under tree canopies.
Wildflower Meadows: Their natural propensity to self-seed makes them a great candidate for wildflower meadows. They can create wonderful drifts of blue, white, or pink amongst grasses and other wildflowers.
Pollinator Gardens: Use them in a pollinator garden design, they are known to attract bees and butterflies.
Containers: Although it naturally prefers open ground, it can also be grown in containers. This is particularly useful if you have a patio garden or limited space.
Remember, gardening is a creative endeavor. Don’t be afraid to experiment with placements and combinations to see what works best in your specific conditions.
Campanula lactiflora or Milky Bellflower makes an excellent companion to a variety of plants. Here are a few suggestions:
Achillea (Yarrow): This hardy perennial produces clusters of small, brightly colored flowers that can provide a great color contrast to the Milky Bellflower. They both prefer full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
Geranium (Cranesbill): The wide variety of flower colors available with Geranium species can complement the bell-like flowers of Campanula lactiflora. Both plants enjoy similar growing conditions, and geraniums’ low, spreading growth can make a nice contrast to the taller bellflower.
Nepeta (Catmint): With its gray-green foliage and blue or violet flowers, Nepeta can provide a beautiful color contrast and textural difference to Campanula lactiflora.
Roses: Roses can benefit from the underplanting of campanulas, which can help suppress weeds, provide visual interest, and keep the roots of the roses cool.
Echinacea (Coneflower): The sturdy, daisy-like flowers of Echinacea provide a wonderful contrast to the delicate, bell-shaped blooms of Campanula lactiflora.
Grasses: Ornamental grasses, like Miscanthus or Panicum, can add a different texture and form in the garden that contrasts beautifully with the vertical spikes of Milky Bellflower.
Salvia (Sage): The bright, typically purple flowers of Salvia can create a lovely color contrast with Campanula lactiflora’s blooms, and the plants share similar growing requirements.
Digitalis (Foxglove): The tall, dramatic spikes of Foxglove can pair well with the more demure and delicate blooms of the Milky Bellflower.
When choosing companion plants, consider their growing needs (soil, light, and water), growth habit, and bloom time to create the most harmonious and attractive combinations.
Growing Campanula carpatica, also known as Carpathian Bellflower, is relatively straightforward. Here are some steps to guide you:
Choosing the Site: Campanula carpatica prefers well-drained soil and can grow in either full sun or partial shade. However, in hotter climates, it benefits from afternoon shade.
Planting: You can start Campanula carpatica from seeds indoors around eight weeks before the last expected frost or directly sow them in the garden after the danger of frost has passed. You can also purchase young plants from a nursery. Space plants or thin seedlings to about 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) apart, as this variety of bellflower forms a low-growing mound.
Watering: After planting, water them well and continue to provide regular water until they are fully established. Once established, they are relatively drought-tolerant but perform best with consistent moisture.
Feeding: Feed with a general-purpose fertilizer in early spring and again after the first wave of blooming has finished.
Maintenance: Deadhead spent flowers to encourage additional blooming and prevent self-seeding. You can also divide these plants every 3-4 years in the spring to maintain their vigor.
Winter Care: In colder climates, a light mulch applied after the ground freezes will help prevent root heaving.
Campanula carpatica is a fairly low-maintenance plant, resistant to deer and rabbit browsing, and is not known to have significant disease or pest issues. Remember, good cultural practices can help prevent many potential problems.
Fotoflor
| Hardiness |
5 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
5 - 7 |
| Climate Zones | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Perennials |
| Genus | Campanula |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Summer (Mid, Late) |
| Height |
3' - 5' (90cm - 150cm) |
| Spread |
2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam |
| Soil pH | Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Showy |
| Tolerance | Deer, Rabbit |
| Attracts | Butterflies, Bees |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs |
| Garden Styles | Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
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