Campanula portenschlagiana
| Campanula portenschlagiana | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 6.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Campanula portenschlagiana (common name: adria bellflower)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Basal cuttings in spring[2]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring or autumn[3]. Very easy, the plant can be divided at almost any time of the year[4].
Cultivation: Prefers a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil preferring full sun but also succeeding in partial shade[2][3][5]. This species prefers a slightly shaded position[4]. Plants can be grown on a dry stone wall[3] and succeed in poor soils[4].
Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[3].
The species in this genus do not often hybridize and so seed can generally be relied upon to come true[4]. The plants are self-fertile[4].
A rampant plant, capable of spreading widely when in suitable conditions by means of both underground roots and long stems above ground [6][7]. It makes a good ground cover but can become a nuisance if it is not sited with care[3]. It is, however, fairly easy to control by simply pulling up any parts of the plant that wander too far[7]. There are several named forms selected for their ornamental value[3].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[8].
Range: S. Europe. Naturalized in Britain.
Habitat: Naturalized on walls and rocky banks in central and southern England.
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[K]. The leaves are rather small, but they are produced all year round[K]. They have a mild flavour and make an acceptable ingredient in mixed salads, especially in the winter, but we find that, eaten in quantity, they become a bit unpleasant[K].
Flowers - raw. Very freely produced, they have a pleasant flavour and make a very decorative addition to salads[K].
Usage: A rampantly spreading plant, suitable for ground cover in a sunny position[9][5].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, beetles, lepidoptera, self
Notes: A very good ground cover for the salad garden, or perhaps you could grow it on a wall.
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: C. muralis. Portenschl.
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Crook, H. Campanulas: Their Cultivation and Classification. Country Life, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lewis, Margaret. Campanulas - A Gardener's Guide. B T Batsford, 1998.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Napier, Elspeth. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells, 1989.