Ivy-leaved Bellflower
Wahlenbergia hederacea
Bellflower family (Campanulaceae)
Delicate and demanding
With its solitary, lilac bell-shaped flowers borne on thin pedicels, the ivy leafed bellflower is modesty itself. The leaves are similar to those of the ivy, but in a more subdued form like the ivy leafed crowfoot.
Ivy leafed bellflower usually grows on boggy, peaty moors and moorland rivulets, in light boggy woods and along banks of ponds, streams and rivers. It is a so-called Atlantic species (fairly common in southeastern Ireland and southwestern England); its range extends as far as the Netherlands. In 1933 this species was found growing on a marshy moorland site in Twente until 1959.
A few years ago the ivy leafed bellflower was found once again, this time growing on damp sand at the edge of a fen in Brabant. Increased precipitation and no winter frost help the advance of this little bellflower.
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Crown jewel in the Botanical Garden TU Delft.
Details
Description: | Herb, up to 30 cm. |
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Distributions: | Western europe |
Habitat: | Heathland (wet, peaty moorland) and wetlands (swamps). |
Year cycle: | Perennial (trees and shrubs included) |
Hardiness: | 5 - 14 f (hardy - cold winter) |
Flowering period: | Juni - september |
Flower color: | Purple |
Notes on flowers: | Lilac |
At its best: | Juni - september |