Herb latin name: Campanula versicolor


Family: Campanulaceae (Bellflower Family)



Edible parts of Campanula versicolor:

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.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
120 cm
(4 feet)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Rocky places in the lower wood region.

Propagation of Campanula versicolor:

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.

Cultivation of the herb:

Rocky places in the lower wood region.

Medicinal use of Campanula versicolor:

None known

Known hazards of Campanula versicolor:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.