Seasonal Wild Flowers

Canterbury-bells

Campanula medium

Campanulaceae

May to June

It is very thinly scattered throughout the country and is

most common in Greater London.

See the BSBI distribution map for Canterbury-bells

It is a neophyte, which has been grown in UK gardens

since the 1590s, and has been known in the wild since

the 1870s.

It grows on disturbed waste ground and banks as a

casual (a short-lived escape). In some places it has

become naturalised.

Canterbury-bells is a large, biennial herb, growing

up to 1m.

Flowers are violet blue and up to 5cm across.

The calyx has recurved appendages between the

sepals.

There are 5 stigmas.

Leaves are stalked, hairy and slightly toothed.

The stem is robust and hairy.

Canterbury-bells, churchyard, Dorset

Corolla, 5-stigmas, shrivelled stamens

Calyx- sepals and recurved appendages

Leaves and hairy stem