Common Name: ladybells
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Campanulaceae
Native Range: Northwestern and central Asia, eastern and central Europe
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 1.50 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 2.50 feet
Bloom Time: May
Bloom Description: Blue
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Tolerate: Rabbit
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, organically rich soils. Good soil drainage is the key to growing this plant well. Spreads very slowly by runners. May be grown from seed. Once sited in the garden, plants should be left undisturbed because they are rather difficult to divide and/or move.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Adenophora liliifolia, commonly called ladybells, is a close relative of the campanulas. It is an erect perennial which typically grows 1.5 to 2' tall and features leafy, branching stems which are topped in late spring with terminal racemes of drooping, flaring, bell-shaped, lilac blue to pale blue flowers (to 3/4" long) which are mildly fragrant. Toothed, ovate to lance-shaped stem leaves (to 3" long) are medium green. Sometimes commonly called false campanula.
Genus name comes from the Greek words aden meaning gland and phorea meaning to bear.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.