Rampion
Campanula rapunculus
Family: Campanulaceae
What it is like
Campanula rapunculus is a BIENNIAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. 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): 0.9
Where it is found
Hedgerows, woodland edges, fields etc, usually on gravelly soils in Britain.
Europe - Mediterranean. Introduced in Britain.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Root - raw or cooked. A very nice sweet flavour, reminiscent of walnuts. They are best mixed with other root vegetables and used in winter salads. Leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb. A fairly bland flavour, with a hint of sweetness, they are quite acceptable raw in salads. The leaves are rich in vitamin C, they make an acceptable winter salad. Young shoots in spring can be blanched and cooked like asparagus.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Vitamin C: Plants good for their vitamin C content
Other
Rating:
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
An easily cultivated plant, it prefers a moist but well-drained rich sandy loam and a neutral or alkaline soil in sun or partial shade, though it succeeds in most good soils. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.8 to 7.5. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. Plants often self-sow in the garden. 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. Rampion was formerly often cultivated for its edible root, though it has fallen into virtual disuse. When grown for its edible root, the plant should not be allowed to flower. Plants can be grown in a meadow. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagating it: Seed - surface sow May/June in situ. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c.
Best place to grow: Meadow; Hedgerow; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Biennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist