Herb: Cornish Bellflower


Latin name: Campanula alliariifolia


Family: Campanulaceae (Bellflower Family)



Edible parts of Cornish Bellflower:

Leaves - raw or cooked. The leaves are rather hairy and, especially as they age, have a slightly unpleasant bitterness. They are acceptable as a minor ingredient in mixed salads, but are generally less than pleasant to eat on their own. Flowers - a pleasant taste and texture with a slight sweetness.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Perennial

Height:
70 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Open scrub and conifer forests, occasionally on cliffs but frequently on steep banks. Naturalized on banks and rough ground, especially by railways, in southern England.

Other uses of Cornish Bellflower:

Plants can be grown for ground cover when planted about 45cm apart each way, they form spreading clumps.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - surface sow spring in a cold frame. Germination usually takes place within 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. 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.

Cultivation of Cornish Bellflower:

Open scrub and conifer forests, occasionally on cliffs but frequently on steep banks. Naturalized on banks and rough ground, especially by railways, in southern England.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Campanula alliariifolia:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.