Common Name: Canterbury Bells

General Information

Campanula medium is an erect, biennial plant that can grow up to 100cm tall. The plant forms a rosette of leaves in its first year of growth and develops a thick, cylindrical rootstock. In the second year it sends up a stout, much-branched flowering stem.[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and dye. It is much grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Europe - France, Italy

Habitat

Railway banks in the S.E. and E. Midlands of Britain[]. Stony banks amongst calcareous rocks in Europe[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Biennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Campanula medium is only somewhat cold tolerant, able to withstand winter temperatures down to around -10
Succeeds in most fertile well-drained soils[], though it prefers a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil in sun or partial shade[, ].
A very ornamental plant, it is often grown in the flower garden and there are many named varieties[].
The species in this genus do not often hybridize and so seed can generally be relied upon to come true[]. The plants are self-fertile[]. Plants usually self-sow in British gardens[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots - raw or cooked[]. Seasoned with oil and vinegar, then eaten as a salad[].

Root - cooked[].

Medicinal

The plant has at times been used in folk medicine[].

Other Uses

Green and pale blue dyes are obtained from the flowers[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in an outdoor seedbed in May, the seedlings are transplanted when large enough and then placed in their final positions in the autumn[]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c[].