Campanula persicifolia var. alba
peach-leaved bellflower
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: June and July
- Hardiness: fully hardy
A classic of the cottage garden, this tall bellflower produces large, white cup-shaped flowers on slender stems in June and July among toothed, bright green leaves, which it retains all year. It's an ideal plant for the back of a mixed or herbaceous border, especially in partial shade. It's earlier flowering than many other varieties, and provides excellent cut-flowers, too. - Garden care: Protect the tender foliage from slugs and deadhead regularly. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted compost around the base of the plant in spring. Stake with bamboo canes or brushwood in spring before the flowers appear. Deadhead to prolong flowering.