Campanula portenschlagiana

Campanula portenschlagiana also known as the wall bellflower or Campanula muralis, is a creeping perennial plant that forms beautiful long-lasting blankets of bright blue-violet flowers in spring and early summer, and sometimes again in September. Renowned for its robustness and adaptability, it is a classic in gardens. This wonderful, floriferous ground cover deserves a prominent place in rockeries, above a wall or in a planter from which it will happily cascade.

Campanula porscharskyana belongs to the campanula family. It is a small, very hardy perennial plant, native to the mountains of the Balkans. In the wild, it can be found in rock crevices and high mountain scree slopes. The plant forms a cushion 20 cm (8in) high, with a minimum spread of 60 cm (24in). It spreads through stems that root upon contact with the ground, allowing it to occupy an increasingly larger surface area. The flowering begins in late spring and continues throughout the summer, more prominently in cool climates. It is common for it to pause in summer, when it is dry and hot, followed by a resurgence in autumn. The star-shaped flowers measure 2 to 2.5 cm (1in) in diameter and are carried in loose panicles along hairy stems. The foliage is semi-evergreen to evergreen depending on the climate, composed of small, velvety, bright green leaves with long petioles, heart-shaped and toothed along the edges.

The wall bellflower is a mountain plant, it does not like very hot or dry climates, or hot nights. It thrives in light, not too dry, soil but dislikes stagnant humidity that can cause root rot. It is easy to provide these conditions in a sunny or semi-shaded rockery. It will quickly fill cracks in paving stones and cover old and low walls. Planted in a line, it will create adorable little, neat borders. It is suitable for wild gardens and pot planting, in a light and well-drained substrate. It can also be planted at the base of roses, small deciduous shrubs, or a hedge. In hanging baskets, it will cascade in small luminous curtains: combine it with a pink Diascia, a white-flowered annual euphorbia Diamond Frost or a lemon yellow Coreopsis, for example.