Parry's Bellflower, Idaho bellflower
Campanula parryi
Family: Campanulaceae
What it is like
Campanula parryi is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. 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 can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Moist sub-alpine meadows and other open places in mountains, 2100 - 3000 metres.
South-western N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Leaves - raw or cooked.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The root is antiphlogistic. A poultice made from the chewed root has been applied to bruises. The plant has been taken by pregnant women who desired a female child. The dried plant has been used as a dusting powder to treat sores. The chewed blossoms have been applied to the skin as a depilatory.
Antiphlogistic: Reduces inflammation.
Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating:
The chewed blossoms are depilatory.
Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.
How it is grown
Prefers a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil in sun or partial shade. Plants grow and spread freely in any light soil and do well when hanging over a wall. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. 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. Seed is freely produced in British gardens. Plants are very attractive to slugs. 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 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. 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. Difficult, because the long runners do not take kindly to separation from the parent plant and are difficult to establish.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist