Tall Bellflower

Campanulastrum americanum

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  • Common name
    Tall Bellflower
  • Latin name
    Campanulastrum americanum
  • Plant type
    perennial
  • Flower color
    Light blue to violet
  • Bloom time
    Mid to late summer
  • Height
    24–72"
  • Chelsea chop
    Yes
  • Light requirements
    Full to part shade. It can tolerate full sun only in cooler climates if the soil remains constantly damp
  • Moisture
    Moist to medium wet. It thrives in rich, organic, well-draining soils that do not dry out completely.
  • Native to Ontario
    Yes
  • Locally native
    No
  • Deer resistant
    Yes
  • Ecological benefit
    Excellent nectar source for native bees, especially long-tongued bees. It is a vital food source for the bellflower resin bee (Megachile campanulae). This oligolectic, long-tongued bee exclusively visits plants within the Campanula genus to harvest pollen.
  • Notes
    Prefers woodland edges, open forests (especially maple), moist edges near streams, lightly disturbed woodland openings. Spotty distribution across eastern Ontario so may be locally rare in places. The plant relies heavily on insect visitors for reproduction. It utilizes a complex mechanical strategy where its pollen matures and sheds before its curved, S-shaped stigma becomes receptive, ensuring genetic diversity through mandatory insect cross-pollination.
  • Picture
    Tall Bellflower