Tall Bellflower, American Bellflower,Campanula americana, Campanulastrum americanum, Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(American Bellflower). Tall Bellflower can be either an annual or a biennial, and will successfully reseed itself. It is somewhat taller than the European Bellflower, growing up to 4 feet high or more. The main stem is a bit hairy, is usually not branched, slightly angled, and contains a milky sap. Leaves: Upper leaves are lance shaped and lower leaves can be more egg shaped, all with teeth and alternate on the stem. In size that are up to 6" long - 3x as long as wide. The inflorescence is a tall spike atop the stem or in less frequent cases, on a side stem rising from an upper leaf axil. Between the flowers on the spike are small green leafy bracts, the lower ones resembling small leaves, the upper ones merely thin and pointed. The flowers are 5-part with a pale blue to violet bell-shaped flower corolla that separates into 5 lobes which appear satiny in sunlight and tend to have curly edges and visually open to a star shape. Each flower has a pale center ring that surrounds a 5-angled ovary and in the center of the ring is a long curved light purple color protruding style with a 3-lobed stigma at the tip. The anthers are yellow and form a spiral at maturity. The calyx is green and its five lobes reflex backward as the flower opens. Seed: Mature flowers produce a seed capsule shaped like a turban that is erect, ribbed and opens at the top. Dispersion is simply by wind shaking the stem.

Habitat: Tall Bellflower grows from a taproot in moist to mesic woods and woodland edges where the soil is rich and sun is partial to light shade. Names: The genus, Campanulastrum, is derived from the Latin Campana, referring to a bell shape as in the flowers. The species, americanum, is 'of America' to distinguish this species from the European variety. Tall Bellflower has recently been reclassified into the current genus from the older Campanula americana due to the difference in flower structure with those plants in Campanula. Comparison: Tall Bellflower blooms in the Woodland Garden and on the back path to the Upland Garden, whereas the European Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) blooms in the sunny Upland Garden. European Bellflower has a bell-shaped flower on one side of the stem, rather than the this more open style that surrounds the stem and grows in sunny areas.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Tall Bellflower	Campanulastrum americanum (L.) Small	Bellflower (Campanulaceae)	Woodland & Upland	Early to late Summer
Other names and notes	(American Bellflower). Tall Bellflower can be either an annual or a biennial, and will successfully reseed itself. It is somewhat taller than the European Bellflower, growing up to 4 feet high or more. The main stem is a bit hairy, is usually not branched, slightly angled, and contains a milky sap. Leaves: Upper leaves are lance shaped and lower leaves can be more egg shaped, all with teeth and alternate on the stem. In size that are up to 6" long - 3x as long as wide. The inflorescence is a tall spike atop the stem or in less frequent cases, on a side stem rising from an upper leaf axil. Between the flowers on the spike are small green leafy bracts, the lower ones resembling small leaves, the upper ones merely thin and pointed. The flowers are 5-part with a pale blue to violet bell-shaped flower corolla that separates into 5 lobes which appear satiny in sunlight and tend to have curly edges and visually open to a star shape. Each flower has a pale center ring that surrounds a 5-angled ovary and in the center of the ring is a long curved light purple color protruding style with a 3-lobed stigma at the tip. The anthers are yellow and form a spiral at maturity. The calyx is green and its five lobes reflex backward as the flower opens. Seed: Mature flowers produce a seed capsule shaped like a turban that is erect, ribbed and opens at the top. Dispersion is simply by wind shaking the stem. Habitat: Tall Bellflower grows from a taproot in moist to mesic woods and woodland edges where the soil is rich and sun is partial to light shade. Names: The genus, Campanulastrum, is derived from the Latin Campana, referring to a bell shape as in the flowers. The species, americanum, is 'of America' to distinguish this species from the European variety. Tall Bellflower has recently been reclassified into the current genus from the older Campanula americana due to the difference in flower structure with those plants in Campanula. Comparison: Tall Bellflower blooms in the Woodland Garden and on the back path to the Upland Garden, whereas the European Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) blooms in the sunny Upland Garden. European Bellflower has a bell-shaped flower on one side of the stem, rather than the this more open style that surrounds the stem and grows in sunny areas.