Plant pick: Birch Hybrid campanula

Published 11:34 am Wednesday, July 1, 2009

WHAT: Birch Hybrid campanula, also known as Birch’s bellflower, has the ability to steal the garden show despite its modest size.

Masses of lilac-blue flowers dance across a backdrop of fresh green foliage, bringing garden visitors to their knees to get a better look from midspring through midsummer.

WHY PLANT IT: Humans love this easy-to grow perennial, but, fortunately, deer and rabbits do not, making it a reliable, long-blooming performer for critter-challenged landscapes.

It has an attractive cottage-garden look when grown in a border or as a ground cover, and is equally charming tumbling out of rockeries and containers.

WHERE: This evergreen perennial grows well in full sun and part shade. It prefers moist, well-drained soil, but it will tolerate less-than-perfect conditions.

HOW: After this plant flowers, gently shear off its old flower stalks to keep it looking its best throughout the growing season.

ACTUAL SIZE: This is one of the smaller campanulas, growing 4 to 6 inches tall. Its inch-long, bell-shaped flowers are held just above a mat of serrated leaves. It spreads by underground runners. Unlike some other types of campanula, it is not aggressive.

LEARN MORE: See www.greatplantpicks.org.

Source: Great Plant Picks