Campanula trachelium
By AndrewR
9 comments
Do you know campanula trachelium? It’s known as the nettle-leaved bellflower and it’s a British native. It grows up to three feet tall and although the books say it prefers sunny, well-drained soil, I find it is quite happy in dry shade on a clay soil among roses. It is useful for providing colour in shady sites in June and July. The ‘usual’ colour of the flowers is blue
and there is also a white-flowered form
There are also double-flowered forms; ‘Bernice’ is the blue version
while the white is just called C. t. ‘Alba Flore Pleno’
Many years ago, I visited Silchester Castle in Berkshire where thousands of these grow wild. Among all the blues and whites was one plant with pink flowers – this is not in cultivation so perhaps I need to go there again and see if it is still growing.
27 Jun, 2011
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Comments
Thanks Andrew. Yes, I have it - same colour as your first picture - and it seeds itself everywhere! How long have you had yours?
27 Jun, 2011
Sheila - I've had the single-flowered forms for seven years now and bought the double-flowered ones the following year
27 Jun, 2011
Well I don't know that one have the common one I like the first one very pretty Andrew
27 Jun, 2011
i like it too ............... be nice in pink !!
27 Jun, 2011
What a lovely flower/plant - another to add to my wish list, thank you Andrew.
I cant find silchester castle - is it open to the public?
27 Jun, 2011
Sticki - it's not really a castle - it's just the old walls around what used to be a Roman town. Now there's just a very small village there outside the walls. It's in Hampshire, about 7 miles north of Basingstoke (near Tadley)
27 Jun, 2011
Yes, I found that one then. Perhaps it came with the Romans?
27 Jun, 2011
Lovely. I love the double, the while is very angelic looking.
8 Aug, 2011
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Fascinating, informative and useful blog.
Many thanks, Andrew ...
Added to GoYpedia Campanulas :o)
... yes ... go find the pink Campanula ;o)
27 Jun, 2011