Campanula Glomerata Superba

Campanula Glomerata Superba or Clustered Bellflower Superba
The Campanula Glomerata Superba is a beautiful little grower with attractive bell shaped, purple flowers. Also known as Campanula Superba (campanula meaning little bell) or Clustered Bellflower Superba, it is a strong grower that fits in many situations across the garden scape.
A member of the Campanulaceae Family, the genus Campanula may occur as annuals or herbaceous or evergreen perennials. The notable bell or star shaped flowers are often blue, or purple, and flower typically in late spring and/or summer. They are known for their tolerance to most soils as long as there is good drainage. They like alkaline soils so those loams and chalks will sustain this group very well. Many varieties of this genus offer long bloom time and easy care, and are known for their versatility.
The variety Campanula Glomerata Superba or Clustered Bellflower Superba occurs as a strong growing, rhizomatous perennial that form a wide spread of erect stems that grow to about 60 cm, with long to ovate leaves. The flowers, bell shaped, and of about 3 cm in length, bear dense clusters of purple flowers. Deadheading or removing the spent flowers as they occur prolongs the bloom period of this beauty. They are hardy to Zone H7 in the UK and Ireland, and reach their ultimate height and spread in about 2-5 years.
Clustered Bellflower Superba likes full sun to partial shade, with aspects, in order of preference, from South to East to West to North facing positions. They can be exposed or sheltered positions. They stand up well and do not require any additional staking, which is a real benefit as their upright habit fills in nicely on its own. An additional benefit to the strong, upright and stiff stems of Superba result in an excellent cut flower. If you were to pair them with others, perhaps Coreopsis and/or Achillea might be good choices.
With their somewhat forgiving nature in wet sites, the Campanula Glomerata Superba is a good choice for beginners who want to perhaps play with the flowers by trimming as they finish and watch how they extend their bloom through to early summer. They are beneficial to pollinators and make a good choice as an under planting with roses and shrubs. Use them in flower borders, on beds of their own, in cottage and informal gardens, or include them in a wildflower meadow type planting to bring another hue of colour to the landscape!