Spiked Rampion
Phyteuma spicatum
Family: Campanulaceae
What it is like
Phyteuma spicatum is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.7 m (2ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft). It is not frost tender. 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), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.7
Where it is found
Woods, thickets and meadows, usually in dry non-acid soils.
Central and southern Europe, including Britain, but absent from the Mediterranean.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Root - raw or cooked. Thick and fleshy, the root can be eaten in salads or boiled as a vegetable.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Succeeds in almost any moderately good soil in sun or light shade. Succeeds in a woodland garden.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in late summer, though it can also be sown in the spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed. Germination is usually very quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. Division in spring or autumn.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Meadow;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist