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Campanulaceae
Canterbury Bells
Campanula medium
Gratitude, faith, constancy.
- Family
- Campanulaceae
- Genus
- Campanula
- Native to
- Southern Europe
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- Biennial
- Height
- 60–90 cm (2–3 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 5–8
- Lifespan
- Biennial
Did you know
- The flowers are named after the bells worn by medieval pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral in England—immortalized in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
- Each bell-shaped flower can grow over 2 inches long—they're among the largest flowers in the entire bellflower family of over 500 species.
- Canterbury bells are biennial, meaning they grow leaves the first year and bloom the second—gardeners must plan two years ahead for these old-fashioned cottage favorites.
- The 'cup-and-saucer' form (Campanula medium calycanthema) is a Victorian breeding curiosity—the calyx grows large and colorful, surrounding the bell like a saucer beneath a teacup.
- Beloved in Edwardian gardens and immortalized in countless 19th-century botanical illustrations, Canterbury bells fell out of fashion until the cottage garden revival of the 1980s brought them back.
Color meanings
0
gratitude
1
faith
2
constancy