Peach-leaved bellflower

Questions about peach-leaved bellflower

Does peach-leaved bellflower need sun or shade?

Peach-leaved 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 peach-leaved bellflower grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 7. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 7 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 peach-leaved bellflower flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid June to mid July. 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 peach-leaved bellflower be planted?

12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 16 in (40 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 2½ ft (75 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many peach-leaved 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 one at a time, repeated along the bed at intervals; a slender one reads better as a clump of three.

In the bed above, the planner used three in three groups.

Is peach-leaved 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 peach-leaved bellflower?

Peach-leaved bellflower comes from Europe to West Siberia, Turkey to the North Caucasus. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Blazing star: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, flowers mid July to mid August.
• Large beardtongue: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, flowers late May to late June.
• Great blue lobelia: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early August to mid September, medium leaves, not fine.

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

Do deer eat peach-leaved 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 peach-leaved bellflower?

Peach-leaved bellflower is over by mid July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.

What does peach-leaved bellflower look like in winter?

Peach-leaved bellflower holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.

Is peach-leaved bellflower good for bees and butterflies?

Peach-leaved bellflower is visited by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.