Campanula trachelium

Campanula trachelium, also known as the nettle-leaved bellflower, is a robust perennial with a wild charm, widespread in the countryside and woodlands. This plant blooms from May-June to July-August even in impenetrable thickets. Its pretty bluish-violet bell-shaped flowers are slightly drooping and situated along erect spikes that emerge from heavily toothed, veined foliage, fairly dark greenish-blue. It will be perfect in an unassuming border, a rustic grove, or a natural garden. While it prefers fertile and deep soils, this plant is very accommodating and fully hardy.

The nettle-leaved bellflower, also known as the blue nettle, is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows in woods and ravines. This species is native to the Åland Islands, an archipelago located between Finland and Sweden, and thrives on limestone-rich soil. It belongs to the Campanula family. Growing from a thick, but non-trailing crown, it forms a tuft of robust, full, angular stems, often reddish and very leafy. In late spring, its funnel-shaped flowers, 2.5 to 4.5 cm (1 to 2in) long, appear on stems 50 to 90 cm (20 to 35in) tall, grouped in pairs or threes along the stalk. Its large leaves are ovate to triangular, toothed, and hairy. They strongly resemble nettle leaves, as its common name suggests. This plant readily self-seeds in light soil.

Perfectly adapted to most climates, the nettle-leaved bellflower is essential in a cottage garden or a rustic border. It is a perfect plant for novice gardeners, as it requires no special care and faithfully returns each year. It can be easily combined with other plants such as common columbine, large daisy, officinal peony, oriental poppy, heucheras, monardas, perennial geraniums, or Japanese anemones. Its simplicity enhances the roundness of old roses or the voluptuous corollas of shrubby or herbaceous peonies. It is stunning when planted in groups of 3 to 5 plants.