SEED ORDERS OVER $100 SHIP FREE!
Campanula americana

Tall Bellflower

$3.00 - $450.00

Packet
$3.00
1/8 oz.
$7.50
1/4 oz.
$12.00
1/2 oz.
$19.50
1 oz.
$30.00
1 lb.
$450.00

3 Pack
$18.00

Campanula americana, Tall Bellflower or American Bellflower, reaches from three to five feet in height, its blue-violet blooms providing a bright late-summer accent to savanna or woodland plantings.
 
Self-seeding, it is either annual or biennial by habit, seemingly depending on when germination occurs. First-year plants are tight rosettes of heart-shaped leaves that shoot up the following spring to form tall stems. Because Campanula americana is the only bellflower with wide-spread petals, a petal tube that elongates with age and stamens that extend over the petals, it often is assigned the special designation Campanulastrum americanum.

Live Plant Shipping Table

Spring Fall Age/Size
Potted 3-Packs May/June N/A 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep pots
Potted Trays of 38* May/June N/A 2" wide x 5" deep plugs
*This species is a choice in the Mix & Match - Create Your Own Tray!

Campanula americana - Tall Bellflower

Map Key

Present in state
Present but introduced in county
Present and native in county; not rare
Not present in state
Present and native in county; rare
Species extirpated (historic)
State or county listed as noxious
Present in state; exotic

This map shows the native and introduced (adventive) range of this species. Given appropriate habitat and climate, native plants can be grown outside their range.

6 Questions asked on Campanula americana

Are the bellflowers available as potted plants or bare root plants? Thank you.
Hi Elisabeth. No, sorry. Plants that are annual or biennial we typically don't offer in plant form.
Are these seeds already cold stratified?
Thanks for writing. No, sorry, we don't pre-treat any germination code C (cold moist stratification needed) seed before sale and we don’t know of any nurseries that do. Seeds need to be planted immediately once their artificial cold, moist period has ended. Since we don’t know when seeds will sell, we can’t have them ready.

We sell seeds year-round and we have thousands of seed lots of more than 700 native species with varying germination requirements. If you think about the logistics of trying to have seeds of all those species pre-treated and ready to plant, it’s just not practical.

The easiest approach for the individual grower is to follow the natural cycle of the plant. For most native wildflowers, that means sowing seeds outdoors, late fall, winter, and even very early-spring, on bare (weed-free) compact ground, and let nature take its course by doing the cold/moist stratification for you.

Is this campanula's foliage difficult to distinguish from Campanula rapunculoides (Creeping Bellflower). I would hate to plant it and then accidentally kill it off!
Here is a good hand-out from the University of Wisconsin Master Gardener's program: Creeping Bellflower Comparing the seedling photos from our website to the handout, you can learn to tell the difference, but there may be a slight learning curve. If you are familiar with one, you should be able to pick out the differences on the new one, especially in person. Once they are in their flowering year, it becomes much easier to distinguish the two.
do these grow by black walnut trees? aka; juglone toxicity
Yes, Tall Bellflower is tolerant to Juglone and will grow near Black Walnut Trees. Check out our list for other species we have found to be Juglone tolerant: Plants to Grow under Black Walnut Trees
I planted seedlings in early May and they became large strong looking rosettes but made no attempt at height or blooming. Should I expect these plants to return next year and bloom?
Hi Charles. Sounds like you have very healthy Tall Bellflowers! Being a biennial, your plants spent this first year in their "vegetative" phase and are on-track for a beautiful bloom next year. Once they have flowered, be sure to clear away any brush from around the base of the plants; this will allow good seed-to-soil contact so they can self-sow and start the cycle again the following year.
Are these sturdy in shade with some morning sun or will they need staking?
Hi Seth. Tall Bellflower typically stay upright, even in shaded locations. It may benefit from staking if there are strong winds or if it's the only plant in the vicinity.

Seed

Growing your own plants from seed is the most economical way to add natives to your home. Before you get started, one of the most important things to know about the seeds of wild plants is that many have built-in dormancy mechanisms that prevent the seed from germinating. In nature, this prevents a population of plants from germinating all at once, before killing frosts, or in times of drought. To propagate native plants, a gardener must break this dormancy before seed will grow.

Each species is different, so be sure to check the GERMINATION CODE listed on the website, in the catalog, or on your seed packet. Then, follow the GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS prior to planting. Some species don't need any pre-treatment to germinate, but some species have dormancy mechanisms that must be broken before the seed will germinate. Some dormancy can be broken in a few minutes, but some species take months or even years.

Seed dormancy can be broken artificially by prolonged refrigeration of damp seed in the process of cold/moist STRATIFICATION. A less complicated approach is to let nature handle the stratifying through a dormant seeding, sowing seeds on the surface of a weed-free site in late fall or winter. Tucked safely beneath the snow, seeds will be conditioned by weathering to make germination possible in subsequent growing seasons.

To learn more, read our BLOG: How to Germinate Native Seeds

Dormant Bare Root Plants

We dig plants when they are dormant from our outdoor beds and ship them April-May and October. Some species go dormant in the summer and we can ship them July/August. We are among the few still employing this production method, which is labor intensive but plant-friendly. They arrive to you dormant, with little to no top-growth (bare-root), packed in peat moss. They should be planted as soon as possible. Unlike greenhouse-grown plants, bare-root plants can be planted during cold weather or anytime the soil is not frozen. A root photo is included with each species to illustrate the optimal depth and orientation. Planting instructions/care are also included with each order.

Download: Installing Your Bare-Root Plants

Potted Plants

3-packs and trays of 32, 38, or 50 plants leave our Midwest greenhouses based on species readiness (being well-rooted for transit) and order date; Spring shipping is typically early May through June, and Fall shipping is mid-August through September. Potted 3-packs and trays of 38 plugs are started from seed in the winter so are typically 3-4 months old when they ship. Trays of 32/50 plugs are usually overwintered so are 1 year old. Plant tray cells are approximately 2” wide x 5” deep in the trays of 38 and 50, and 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep in the 3-packs and trays of 32; ideal for deep-rooted natives. Full-color tags and planting & care instructions are included with each order.

Download: Planting and Care of Potted Plants

*PLEASE NOTE: we are a mail order nursery and have no retail facilities, but you may pick up your order if prior arrangements are made. Pick up orders are subject to **MN Sales Tax.

Shipping & Handling Charges

SEED $100.00 and under: $5.00
Retail SEED orders over $100.00 ship free!

Custom seed mixes or discounted seed sales over $100, add 5% of the total seed cost
(for orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required)

BARE ROOT and POTTED PLANTS $50.00 and under: $9.00
over $50.00: 18% of the total plant cost. (For orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required.)

TOOLS and BOOKS have the shipping fee included in the cost of the product (within the contiguous US).

**We are required to collect state sales tax in certain states. Your state's eligibility and % will be calculated at checkout. MN State Sales Tax of 7.375% is applied for orders picked up at our MN location. Shipping & handling charges are also subject to the sales tax.

Shipping Season

SEED, TOOLS and BOOKS are sent year-round. Most orders ship within 1-3 business days.

BARE ROOT PLANTS are shipped during optimal transplanting time: Spring (April-May) and Fall (Oct). Some ephemeral species are also available for summer shipping. Since our plants are field-grown, Nature sets the schedule each year as to when our season will begin and end. We fill all orders, on a first-come, first-serve basis, to the best of our ability depending on weather conditions beyond our control.

POTTED PLANTS (Trays of 32/38/50 plugs and 3-packs) typically begin shipping early May and go into June; shipping time is heavily dependent on all the species in your order being well-rooted. If winter-spring greenhouse growing conditions are favorable and all species are well-rooted at once, then we ship by order date (first come, first serve). We are a Midwest greenhouse, and due to the challenges of getting all the species in the Mix & Match and Pre-Designed Garden Kits transit-ready at the same time, we typically can't ship before early May. Earlier shipment requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

*We are unable to ship PLANTS (bare root or potted) outside the contiguous US or to CALIFORNIA due to regulations.

Delivery

We ship using USPS, UPS and Spee Dee. UPS and Spee Dee are often used for expediting plant orders; they will not deliver to Post Office Box numbers, so please also include your street address if ordering plants. We send tracking numbers to your email address so please include it when you order.

FOR MORE DETAILED SHIPPING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CANADA SHIPPING RATES (SEED ONLY), PLEASE SEE 'SHIPPING' AT THE FOOTER OF THIS WEBSITE.

Details

Seeds/Packet
1,000
Seeds/Ounce
170,000
Germination Code
C(30)
Life Cycle
Biennial
Sun Exposure
Partial, Shade
Soil Moisture
Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry
Height
5 feet
Bloom Time
July, August, September, October
Bloom Color
Blue
Advantages
Pollinator Favorite: butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, beetles
Bird Favorite: seeds, insects, fruit, nectar, nesting, perch
Deer Resistant
Highly recommended for home landscaping
USDA Zones
3-8
Plant Spacing
18-24"
Catalog Code
CAM52F