Carpathian bellflower

Questions about Carpathian bellflower

Does Carpathian bellflower need sun or shade?

Carpathian bellflower grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does Carpathian bellflower grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Carpathian bellflower flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late June to late August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Carpathian bellflower be planted?

12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.

It grows 10 in (25 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Carpathian bellflower plants do I need?

At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.

Is Carpathian bellflower poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like Carpathian bellflower?

Carpathian bellflower comes from native to the Carpathian Mountains in Europe. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Alpine aster: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid May to late June, purple, lavender or pink, not blue.
• Coral bells 'Firefly': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late May to late July, red, not blue.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Carpathian bellflower?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after Carpathian bellflower?

Carpathian bellflower is over by late August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.
• Sedum 'Autumn Joy': from mid August to mid October, 24 in tall.

What does Carpathian bellflower look like in winter?

Carpathian bellflower dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is Carpathian bellflower good for bees and butterflies?

Carpathian bellflower is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.