Blue Lady’s Bells
Photo by Goodness Grows
Adenophora liliifolia Photographed mid-April. Goodness Grows, Athens, Ga. Classics of northern perennial borders, campanulas hate Zone 8! For a great substitute, try this brilliant, cobalt exception which is a relative of campanula. It will live for years in the heat of Zone 8.
Special Care: Tough, but as with lots of its relatives, overly moist, summer soil will ruin this plant! Keep it on the dry side; a little light shade won’t hurt. Don’t add extra water or fertilizer.
Flowering Time: Mid April to Early May.
Gardening Tips: Treat as a spring ephemeral-- it will look great through May. It needs cutting back after that. Then it will be gone the rest of the summer. Only in the winter will you notice it again when you see its simple, slightly glossy leaves.
Foliage: The dull green leaves make a solid, almost evergreen groundcover. Growth Rate: Slow to moderate. Plant gallon plants about 3 feet apart for cover in two years.
Suggested Combinations: Try this with other tall spring flowers. I love this with pale pink striped Crinum bulbispermum & with any pink or mauve Verbascum. Take advantage of the fall & early spring Ultimate Height: 28 inches when in flower-- just a few leaves by mixing with mondo or ‘Purple Queen’ purple inches most of the year! heart.