Campanula versicolor
Family: Campanulaceae
What it is like
Campanula versicolor is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 1.2
Where it is found
Rocky places in the lower wood region.
Europe - Greece.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 5
Leaves - raw or cooked. Rich in vitamin C. A delicious mild flavour with a slight sweetness that reminds people of freshly-picked garden peas, they can be added in quantity to salads and are usually available in winter. They are liked by most people who try them. Flowers - raw. Very pleasant with a slight sweetness, they make a tasty and decorative addition to salads.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Vitamin C: Plants good for their vitamin C content
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Succeeds in most fertile well-drained soils, though it prefers a sunny position in a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil. Strongly resents winter wet. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Plants may require protection in severe winters, though they have proved reliable in Cornwall. This species provides some of the nicest salad leaves that we have tried to date, it has an excellent potential as an edible ornamental in the garden, though it is not really suitable for commercial cultivation. The plants have a basal rosette in winter and continue to grow slowly in all but the coldest weather, providing edible leaves most winters. The species in this genus do not often hybridize and so seed can generally be relied upon to come true. The plants are self-fertile. A very ornamental plant. It is closely related to C. pyramidalis, but is more reliably perennial. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagating it: Seed - surface sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c. 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. Once they are a few years old, plants produce a number of rosettes and these can be carefully removed in the spring and used as cuttings. 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. Root cuttings are said to work. 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.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist