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Campanula pyramidalis

Common name:	Chimney Bellflower	Family:	Campanulaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Europe - Italy and Yugoslavia. Naturalized in southern Britain.
Habitat:	Naturalized on walls in southern England and the Channel Islands.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	C. pyramidalis var. alba[G] C. pyramidalis var. compacta[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Chimney Bellflower [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	pyramidalis = pyramidal;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Campanulales. Bellflower family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1.5m by 0.5m . It is hardy to zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, 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, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Flowers; Leaves.

Leaves - raw or cooked. A mild slightly sweet flavour[K].
Flowers - raw. A nice decorative addition to salads, the flowers have a pleasant sweet flavour[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most fertile well-drained soils[233], though it prefers a moist but very well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil[1, 200]. Plants are impatient of drought and of too much sunshine, growing best in a shady position[221, 271].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[200]. Plants are best grown in a greenhouse in Britain, they are seldom fully happy outdoors and do not usually open their flowers properly[221].
Plants usually set seed freely and will often self-sow in the garden[271].
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].
A short-lived perennial[200], in the garden it is best grown from seed as a biennial or propagated each year from the non-flowering side rosettes[221]. The woody roots will usually persist for some years so long as the plant is in a well-drained soil and a sunny position[233].
Except in the most sheltered of positions, the tall flowering stems require staking in order to stop them snapping at the base in high winds[271].
This species is closely related to C. versicolor.
There are several named forms selected for their ornamental value[200]. The cultivar 'Alba' is used as an altar flower in its native regions, this cultivar demands an especially well-drained soil and is less hardy than the type[200].
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. It is best to sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse in order to give the plant a long season of growth, otherwise sow it in late winter[221]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Basal cuttings in spring. 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]. The plant has a thick fleshy root with a number of crowns. Whilst this can be divided if great care is taken not to damage the root, it is not really recommended because the divisions take a long time to become established[221].

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

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]).

[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.

[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
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Campanula+pyramidalis
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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.