A fascinating thing about flowers is that you can find them in various shapes. For example, Bellflower has a bell shape. So while there are many bellfowers, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best types of bell flowers.
About Bellflowers
Bellflowers fall into the campanulas genus of the Campanulaceae family, with more than 300 species. Bell flower is native to northern temperate regions, the Mediterranean, and tropical mountains.
There are two types of bell flower categories. One type is upright and tall bellflowers, making a great garden border. While the other type is better for rock gardens and garden edging due to being shorter in height.
Characteristics
Campanula flowers have a bell, tubular, or star shape. For example, the campanula bellflower can be blue, red, white, pink, or purple.
The bellflower flower blooms early to mid-summer and can last through the chill of fall. There is also some winter hardy that can survive winter’s cold days.
20 Types of Bellflowers Flowers For Your Home
We’ve found 20 species of plants classified as bellflowers due to their shape.
- Korean Bellflower
Korean bellflowers bloom from summer to fall with pale pink-purple flowers featuring dark spots on the inside. They also have bold green leaves that enhance the purple color. Depending on your location, these plants require full sun or partial shade to enjoy the flowers’ light fragrance.
- Adriatic Bellflower
Adriatic bellflower is Dickinson’s Gold – campanula garganica – which has distinctive foliage that forms in clumps with cheerful blue-lavender flowers that cover the plant like a blanket.
Bluebells are beautiful frost, tolerant hardy plants with a sweet smell that attracts pollinators. You can grow these in containers or gardens in partial sun. Unfortunately, these flowers are extremely delicate and hang loose due to their slender, weak shape.
- Peach-Leaved Bells
Despite the name, Peach-Leaved bells do not have a peach color but are shades between violet and white. Campanula persicifolia is the most attractive evergreen wildflower in Finland. The two types – Chettle Charm and Blue-eyed Blond attract pollinators like honeybees, bumblebees, and flies.
- Serbian Bellflower
Serbian Bellflower – Campanula poscharskyana – are long-lasting flowers that bloom late spring through fall with minimal oversight and effort. These bellflowers are 1” long in purple or blue, thick star-shaped flowers used for colorful ground cover. This type is short (less than a foot to 3’ tall and up to 3’ across), making for great mass plantings, edging plants, or rock gardens.
- Dalmatian Bellflower
Dalmatian bellflowers – Campanula portenschlagiana – are herbaceous perennials with a low growth pattern that makes them excellent for edging plants, filling gaps, or growing over stone retaining walls. These plants have blue or purple bell flowers with dark green leaves, blooming late spring through fall.
- Canterbury Bells
Canterbury bells are biennial bellflower plants with pink, white, purple, or blue flowers. These plants can get 2’ in height and 12” to 18” wide in partial shade to full sun from late spring through summer.
- Carpathian Bellflower
Campanula carpatica – Carpathian – is another low-growing perennial that produces large blooms facing upwards in white, purple, or blue, heavily covering the entire plant. The plants can reach heights of 4” to 12” wide and tall.
- Campanula Lactiflora
The Lactiflora species of Campanula flower is an enchanting milky bellowflower with tall spikes of lavender and star-shaped flower clusters. There are two other varieties of Lactifora – Loddon Anna and Prichard’s Variety.
- Campanula Punctata
Campanula Punctata – spotted Bellflower – is a heart-shaped flower in a dusk pink and creamy white with delicate hairs and red spots. You can put these Japanese and Siberian-native short flowers in containers or sunny gardens.
- Campanula Glomerata
Campanula Glomerata has two categories – var. Acaulis and var. Alba. Acaulis is a bell-shaped deep purple flower cluster blooming late spring through early summer. It has a rapid growth and spread than other flowers. Alba blooms 18” to 24” tall and wide with lanced green leaves during the same seasons.
- Clustered Bellflower
Clustered Bellflower goes by the scientific name campanula glomerata and is vigorous bell flowers formed in a dense cluster of white or violet-blue flowers. These profuse blooms can be 6” to 24” tall and 12” to 36” wide. There are two categories – campanula glomerata var. Acaulis and var. Alba.
- Birch Hybrid
Birch Hybrid is a 4” to 6” tall, 8” to 12” wide dwarf species of perennials in a violet-blue color. The low growth of the bell-shaped flowers is perfect for cottage gardens, rock gardens, and edging from summer to fall.
- Viking Bellflower
Viking bellflowers are vibrant, downward-facing tubular purple bellflowers formed in clusters on upright spikes of thin stalks. This species of Bellflower is popular for attracting hummingbirds and bees. In addition, it’s low maintenance and pest free, making it an excellent garden choice.
- Loddon Anna Flowers
Loddon Anna is a 4’ tall, 2’ wide soft pink or milky white flower blooming during summer. It forms as clump perennials that can give your yard pleasing color.
- Prichard’s Variety
Prichard’s Variety is a perennial of round violet-blue flower clusters with a white center. These plants bloom during balmy summers and mellow falls. They require partial shade in the warmer times and fertile, neutral to alkaline soil and plenty of moisture.
- Chettle Charm
Chettle Charm is a creamy white flower with pale blue dotted edges. Campanula persicifolia – peach-leaved Bellflower – blooms through summer, reaching 30” to 36” in height and 12” to 18” wide. These flowers are an excellent choice for mixed containers or borders.
- Blue-eyed Blonde
Blue-eyed Blonde also has the botanical name Campanula persicifolia and is another type of Peach-leaved Bellflower. These tall blue flowers are upright with golden leaves that add color to your garden.
- Cobaea Scandens
Cobaea Scandens also goes by Cup and Saucer due to the unique cup shape of the vine. It starts as a dull green before turning to a rich white or purple. The green calyx at the base can become the saucer underneath. Cup and Saucer plants have a sweet honey scent and require full sun.
- Fairy Thimble Bellflower
Fairy Thimble, known as Campanula cochleariifolia Bavaria Blue or Earleaf, is a native bellflower to mountainous areas of Europe – the Alps, Carpathians, and the Pyrenees. This plant has a better tolerance for alkaline soils and cold. In addition, the short growth makes it excellent for ground cover in rock gardens.
FAQ
Here’s more interesting information about bellflowers with these frequently asked questions.
Are All Flowers Shaped Like Bells Considered Bellflowers?
Not all flowers with a bell shape are considered bellflowers.
How Many Types of Campanula Are There?
There are around 500 species in the Campanula genus.
What Colors Can Bellflowers Be?
Bellflowers can be white, blue, purple, pink, red, white, and orange.
Are Bellflower Flowers Annuals or Perennials?
Bellflowers can be perennials or annuals, depending on the type of flower and the climate.
Can You Eat Bellflower?
There are some species of bellflowers that are edible.
The Bottom Line
Bellflowers have a signature look of plants with blooms in an elegant bell shape. These flowers fall into the Campanula genus, which has over 500 species. You can find bellflowers in various forms, sizes, and colors to grow in containers inside or in outdoor gardens.