Description

Giant bellflower is an impressive, tall, garden worthy plant. As the generic and common name suggests the flowers are bell shaped and in this species they are held in a loose raceme of nodding violet-blue or sometimes white flowers about 5cm long. Both giant and nettle-leaved bellflowers are erect plant over 50cm tall but with giant bellflower it is softly downy with bluntly angled stem whilst in nettled-leaved bellflower the stem is sharply angled, and the hairs are more bristly than soft. Unaspiringly the basal leaves of giant bellflower are much less nettle like than in the other species as they taper into the leaf stalk and are less deeply toothed.

Habitat Information

Habitat Rich often damp and mainly calcareous woods and hedge banks. Most common in northern England and southern Scotland becoming rarer and more localised north and south of this range.  Can be added to EW1 or EH1 and will work as a garden plant.

Growing Information

Seed can be sown at any time of the year but results are more reliable and successful if sown in the autumn. Can be added to EW1 and EH1.