Broadleaf bell: photo and description, varieties, planting and care

Broadleaf bell (Campanula latifolia) or campanula is a tall perennial plant that got its specific name for the shape of the flowers. The genus includes more than 300 species, differing in territorial distribution, color and height. Ornamental gardening uses varietal representatives created specifically for landscape design.

Description of broadleaf bell

The main types of broadleaf bell grow in the form of a herbaceous shrub, consisting of 4-6 shoots. The culture is tall, the stems reach 100-150 cm. The bush is compact, intensively leafy. The plant is adapted to all types of soil, but full vegetation is possible only on fertile, light soil with moderate moisture.

The frost resistance of the plant depends on the distribution area. Types of northern latitudes resist temperature drops to -30⁰ C, representatives of the Caucasus or Asia Minor are not adapted to the winter conditions of the Central regions and the Middle Strip. In ornamental gardening, breeding varieties based on Altai or Himalayan varieties are used, which calmly endure temperate weather conditions.

The culture is sun-loving, the flowers do not fade in direct sunlight. The plant reacts calmly to the lack of moisture. Damp soils and high air humidity do not meet the biological requirements of the broadleaf bell, in such conditions the plant is sick, grows poorly, and forms a small number of buds.

The life cycle of flowers decreases, they lose their shape, close and droop. The splendor of flowering directly depends on the sufficiency of lighting, soil fertility and compliance with agricultural technology.

What does a broadleaf bell look like?

Broadleaf bell attracts attention with the splendor of green mass and long flowering (from June to July). The main color of flowers in the species is blue, purple or dark blue. Flowering is plentiful, the buds open sequentially.

External characteristics of the broad-leaved bell:

1. Stems erect, without lateral branches, light green. The surface is even, the shape is rounded, the apex is refined, angular.
2. The leaves are located along the entire length of the stem, oblong, wide at the base, pointed at the top, the edges are serrated. Near the root are larger, fixed on winged petioles, the upper ones are smaller, sessile.
3. The leaf plate is light green with pronounced veins, densely pubescent in the lower and upper parts.
4. The inflorescence of the broadleaf bell is racemose, formed from the middle of the stem. The flowers are large (up to 3 cm long), located in leaf axils on short pedicels. The shape is in the form of a funnel, bell-shaped, the edges are dissected, curved.
5. The fruit is a capsule with flat brown seeds.

Broadleaf bell is recommended for cultivation in the European part, the Central region, the regions of the Middle Strip, in the northern Caucasus.

A perennial crop after sowing seeds reaches reproductive age in the third year of vegetation.

The bell bush grows not quickly and not strongly, occupying no more than 50 cm² of area

What is the root system of the broadleaf bell

The root system of the bell is broad-leaved mixed type, the dominant shaft is fusiform. On fertile light soil, the central part deepens by 15-20 cm, lateral fibrous roots cover 60 cm of the territory.

Plant with low stress resistance, poorly responsive to transplantation, prone to trampling on pastures. If the climatic conditions of the region do not correspond to the species, the culture is not restored after freezing of the root.

Where does the broadleaf bell grow?

Broad-leaved bell grows on the edges of mixed and coniferous forests. More common in meadows, hillsides, in foothill areas. If located near the forest, the root is slightly deepened within 6 cm and forms only one stem, so the main accumulation in open areas is moderately moist soils.

Depending on the variety, the distribution range of the species covers the European part, Altai, alpine meadows near the Caucasus Mountains, the Far East, Eastern Siberia, and part of the Urals.

Why is the broadleaf bell in the Red Book

The culture is classified as an endangered species, the broad-leaved bell flower is listed in the Red Book and is protected by law. Every year, the plant population decreases, a number of negative factors affect the disappearance of the species:

• economic activity, increase in areas for grazing. The bell is not restored after mechanical damage to the vegetative buds;
• early mowing. The plant does not have time to enter the fruiting phase;
• in the natural environment, the culture reproduces by self-sowing, the germination of the material is 15%. Young plants are almost never found in the wild. The formed population reproduces as a result of branching and growth of the root system. In the meadows, the crop is trampled by livestock, which leads to its disappearance.

This factor also contributes to the disappearance of the broadleaf bell. Wild-growing species enter the reproductive age at 5-7 years, many of the specimens do not live up to this time. The culture is characterized by low competitiveness, does not respond well to soil compaction, so it is being replaced by more adapted plants with a creeping root system.

Top Grades

There are quite a few varieties of broadleaf bell in nature. There are few breeding varieties with high frost resistance and undemanding to watering. In ornamental gardening, cultivars are used, and only 3 varieties can be attributed to demand.

Brantwood

Bell broadleaf Brantwood reaches a height of 1,2 m

The bush is dense, formed by 6-10 stems. The inflorescences are lush, the flowers are dark blue with a slight purple tint. Suitable for cultivation in all regions (except the Far North).

The flowering period of the Brantwood variety falls at the end of June and lasts until the first days of August.

Alba

The rare white form of the Alba broadleaf bellflower is one of the common varieties in design. The plant owes its popularity to the unconventional color of the flower and high frost resistance. This is a herbaceous compact shrub, whose height is about 80 cm. The shape of the flowers is bell-shaped, dissected, the corners are sharp, the upper part looks like a star. For planting plants of this variety, choose a site with periodic shading.

The flowering period of the Alba variety begins in the first decade of June and lasts until mid-August.

Makranta

The broad-leaved bell variety Macrantha compares favorably with other breeding varieties in flower size and density of inflorescences.

Macrantha flowers are dark purple, the cup is completely open, with clearly defined petals.

The flowering period is June-July.

Application in design

Garden forms of the broadleaf bell are used to create:

• mixborders;

  

• composite structures in the flowerbed;

  

• for decoration in the style of wildlife;

  

A tall bell can serve as a background plant for undersized shrubs, dwarf forms of conifers.

Combine the bell with crops of the same size, with white, pink or yellow flowers. All nearby species should have similar placement requirements.

Do not combine broadleaf bell with ornamental plants blooming with blue inflorescences. Neighborhood with aggressive species with a creeping root system is undesirable.

Mass planting based on varieties with different colors is often used to decorate an empty area of ​​​​the site.

How does the broadleaf bell reproduce?

The bell is propagated in a generative way. In autumn, seeds are collected, a garden bed is made, and in October they are sown in the ground. For the winter, the site is covered with a film, insulated from above with spruce branches. In the spring, the seeds will germinate, they are swooped down and planted in the allotted place in the fall. Garden varieties are divided once every 5 years, receiving additional planting material.

Landing algorithm

The site for planting a broad-leaved bell is allocated sunny or with periodic shading.

In constant shade and high humidity, the bell will not grow, so there is a risk of culture death. The soil is chosen in a dry area so that there is no stagnation of moisture. The soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline, necessarily light and fertile.

The division of the bush is carried out in May or at the end of August (after flowering). Seedlings after sowing for the winter are planted at the same time.

The bell is dug up and the root is divided so that each section consists of a central rod and several lateral root threads

5 days before planting, the seedlings are watered with a weak solution of manganese, before being placed in the ground, they are treated with a growth-stimulating drug. The site is prepared on the day of planting, it is dug up along with compost, poured with boiling water.

Algorithm for carrying out landing operations:

1. The pit is made 40 cm deep, 30 cm wide (for seedlings) and 10 cm wider than the root – when dividing the bush.
2. Peat, turf soil and sand are mixed, superphosphate and potassium are added.
3. The bottom of the recess is covered with a layer of drainage and covered with part of the substrate.
4. The bell is placed in the center and the hole is covered with the remaining soil mixture.

The earth is compacted, the plot is watered with the addition of nitrogen fertilizer. For seedlings, this measure is not required. Cover with mulch from above, the bell does not tolerate even a slight compaction of the topsoil.

Aftercare

Agricultural technology consists in carrying out the following activities:

1. In the dry season, water the plant 2 times a week in the evening. With normal rainfall, additional watering is not required.
2. The varieties are tall, if the bush does not hold its shape well, the bell is tied up.
3. Mulch immediately after planting with peat, sawdust or wood chips.
4. Loosen the soil at the first sign of compaction.
5. Top dressing begins from the second year of vegetation. The first procedure is carried out in the last decade of May with nitrophos, during flowering Agricola for flowering plants is applied, when the flowering cycle is over, they are fed with superphosphate and potassium.

Preparation for winter

The above-ground mass dies off and dries up by autumn, it is cut off completely. They loosen the soil around the bush, lightly spud it, sprinkle it with ash to deoxidize the soil, lay out the compost and cover it with a layer of mulch. If the winter is cold and snowy, cover with spruce branches.

Diseases and pests

On the broadleaf bell, diseases are noted:

• rot of the root neck and roots;
• powdery mildew;
• rust.

In autumn, after flowering, the plant is treated with copper sulphate, in the spring with Topaz.

Parasitic on the plant:

• aphid;
• saliva;
• slugs.

To get rid of pests, flowers are sprayed with Iskra, and Metaldehyde is laid out near the bush

Conclusion

Broadleaf bell is a field perennial plant with a mixed type of root system. It grows in dense groups, has the form of a grassy bush. The bell belongs to an endangered species, so the culture is protected by law. The design uses garden forms with purple and white flowers. Breeding varieties are frost-resistant, so they can be grown in any climatic zone.

Reviews