Campanula glomerata Genti Twisterbell

Campanula glomerata 'Genti Twisterbell' is a very recent cultivar of the clustered bellflower, distinguished by narrower, upright flowers with bicolored corollas blending blue-violet and white. They appear in June-July, in the axils of dark green leaves, tightly clustered in small groups along robust and sturdy leafy stems rather than in bouquets. This excellent perennial rhizomatous plant forms a dense clump of foliage, vigorous and floriferous in ordinary soil that is not too dry. It will quickly cover the ground along borders and is also a beautiful flower for bouquets.

The clustered bellflower is a herbaceous perennial plant with a rhizomatous crown, native to Europe and temperate Asia. It belongs to the Campanulaceae family. The variety 'Genti Twisterbell' is distinguished by a larger size and bicolored flowers arranged on the upper part of its flower stems. The plant reaches about 40 to 45 cm high when in flower, with a spread of 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16in). It spreads through stolons, forming large clumps of dark green to slightly purplish, woolly and rough leaves, heart-shaped at the base of the plant and more elongated along the flower stems. The basal foliage remains ornamental throughout the season. Flowering takes place in June-July, in the form of small clusters of narrow, star-shaped bell-flowers distributed along the stems and open to the sky, 2 to 3 cm (1in) wide, with petals variegated in blue-violet and white. This flowering can last for two months if you regularly remove the faded flower stems, and can even resume at the end of summer.

Campanula glomerata 'Genti Twisterbell' is an easy-to-grow plant in any light, well-drained soil, in full sun or part shade. It tolerates drought once well established. It can be used in borders, paving, or in a large rock garden together with small asters, veronicas, or perennial geraniums. It also pairs well with roses, and summer-flowering shrubs such as deutzias, althaeas or mock oranges.

About bellflowers:

The crown of bellflowers produces white stolons that spread underground in all directions ensuring the long-term survival of the plant. The numerous upright stems that arise from this base or stolons can be fertile or sterile. Thus, when one sees a large population of bellflowers, it is often clones of a single individual. On the other hand, different species of bellflowers hybridize very easily with each other and are often accompanied by a whole range of intermediate forms, which makes them very interesting for horticulturists.