Campanula glomerata var. dahurica

Campanula glomerata var dahurica is a beautiful form of clustered bellflower, recognizable by its slender flower stems and intensely violet flowers grouped in very compact clusters emerging in late spring, well above a loose foliage clump. It is a very hardy and robust, rhizomatous perennial which will spread over time in cool and sunny areas of the garden, in light soil. Its rather wild appearance and its spectacular colour, close to indigo, make it a refined bellflower. Use its flowers in pretty country bouquets.

Campanula glomerata var. dahurica belongs to the family of bellflowers. It is a subspecies of clustered bellflower endemic to Dahuria, a mountainous region located east of Lake Baikal, Russia. Campanula glomerata, on the other hand, is native to all of Europe, with the exception of the north, Turkey, and temperate Asia. This plant has a very good hardiness. In the wild, it grows in rock crevices and high mountain scree, as well as in heathland, meadows, and lowland woods, on limestone soil. This Dahurica subspecies forms a bushy and spreading somewhat loose clump, composed of erect and stiff stems, reaching 60 cm (24in) high when flowering. It spreads through its rhizomes and can cover large areas of over 1 m (3ft) in circumference. The stems will produce clusters of single tubular bell-shaped flowers which are widely open, 2 to 3 cm (1in) long and an intense violet colour. The foliage is carried by solid and full hairy stems. The lower leaves are petiolate, oval-oblong, heart-shaped, and hairy, the leaves on the stems are dark green, sessile (without petiole), with a scalloped edge and measure 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) long. The above-ground vegetation is deciduous: it emerges from the ground in spring and disappears each winter.

Bellflowers are interesting for their long flowering and ease of cultivation. Place them in a cool corner of the garden and they will spread over the years. The 'Dahurica' variety thrives in sunny perennial borders where the strong colour of the flowers comes into its own. Create a small country scene by combining it with Oriental poppies, daisies, and perennial salvias, for example. It enhances bouquets of roses, peonies, irises, and lilacs. Butterflies also love it. If it disappears due to drought, it reappears with the rain.