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Campanula poscharskyana

Campanula poscharskyana: Plant
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Common name:	Trailing Bellflower	Family:	Campanulaceae
Author:	Degen.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Europe - N. Yugoslavia. Naturalized in Britain.
Habitat:	Naturalized on walls and rocky banks in central and southern England.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Poscharsky's Bellflower [H],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Campanulales. Bellflower family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen perennial growing to 0.25m by 1m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles and Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, In Walls, In South Wall, In East Wall, In West Wall, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Flowers; Leaves.

Leaves - raw or cooked[K]. A pleasant sweet flavour but the leaves are a little tough[K]. It makes a very addition to mixed salads in the winter, though we tend not to eat it much at other times of the year when there are more leaves available[K].
Flowers - raw. Produced in abundance, they have a pleasant sweet flavour and make a decorative addition to the salad bowl[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Ground cover.

A rampantly spreading plant, suitable for ground cover in a sunny position[187, 197, 208].

Cultivation details

Prefers a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil in full sun though it also tolerates partial shade[1, 200, 208]. We have seen plants doing very well on a north-west-facing wall[K]. Plants are very drought-tolerant and can be grown on a dry stone wall[200], they also succeed in poor soils[221].
Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[200].
A rampant spreading plant[188], it makes an excellent ground cover but can become a nuisance if it isn't sited with care[200].
The species in this genus do not often hybridize and so seed can generally be relied upon to come true[221]. The plants are self-fertile[221]. This species does not produce seed very freely in Britain, but it is very easily propagated by division[221].
There are several named forms selected for their ornamental value[200]. The form 'E.K.Toogood' is less invasive[197].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c[138]. 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[1]. 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[200]. Very easy, the plant can be divided at almost any time of the year[221].

Cultivars

'Glandore': Much less spreading than the species, forming tight buns of growth[271]. It is more suitable for small gardens.
'E. K. Toogood': This cultivar is less vigorous than the species and so is more suitable for growing where space is restricted[197].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[138] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[197] Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. 1989 ISBN 0-304-31089-1
A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[221] Crook. H. Clifford. Campanulas Country Life 1951
A comprehensive treatment of the genus.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.