Phyteuma scheuchzeri

Phyteuma scheuchzeri, also known as Oxford Rampion, is a beautiful perennial native to mountainous areas of Europe related to bellflowers, too rarely planted in our gardens. It forms a low tuft of evergreen foliage from which spherical inflorescences of intense and deep blue emerge in early summer, that can be seen from afar. Its requirements are clear: it appreciates the sun and rocky, well-drained soils, which are not too dry in summer. It is an excellent plant for borders and rockeries, perfectly at ease in mountain gardens.

Phyteuma scheuchzeri belongs to the Campanulaceae family. This very hardy botanical species is native to the Southern Alps and the northern Apennines, found in Switzerland, France, Italy, and former Yugoslavia, at altitudes to 3600 m (11811ft). It grows in crevices and among rocks, on limestone or siliceous soils. This perennial plant forms a compact tuft of long, narrow evergreen leaves, finely toothed. shiny, slightly bluish green. It measures about 40 cm (16in) in height when flowering, 15 cm (6in) for the foliage and 30 cm (12in) in width. Flowering takes place from June to August, depending on the climate. From the tuft of leaves emerge tall flower stems bearing at their tip an inflorescence that may resemble that of certain ornamental garlics. Each inflorescence, resembling a slightly sparse pompom, is composed of numerous curiously shaped flowers that open all at once and have intense blue bracts. Each flower is composed of pale blue petals fused into a tube of extremely vivid ultramarine blue at their tip. The flowers are followed by seeds that will germinate quite easily in light and well-drained soil.

Phyteuma scheuchzeri is above all a beautiful wild plant very well adapted to alpine rockeries or not too dry, gravel gardens, and borders of beds in very well-drained soil. It will be perfect in the company of other beautiful mountain plants: saxifrages, mountain cornflowers, centaureas, small bellflowers like Campanula cochleariifolia 'Elizabeth Oliver' or small carnations like Dianthus alpinus.