Pink Campanula Plant – A Comprehensive Guide to Growing

Pink campanula (bellflower) is a stunning flower that every gardener can find room for. True to its name, the plant bears cup-shaped flowers and beholds a rich pink hue. The pink campanula is an extremely popular plant among both gardeners and horticulturists, making it a great choice for your gardens. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a new green thumb who wants to bring some color into the outdoors, you can’t go wrong with getting some pink campanulas for your garden. This guide explains everything you need to know about pink campanula, covering its history, species, and how to plant, grow, and care for the plant.

The Origins and Varieties of Pink Campanula

The campanula plant is part of the Campanulaceae family and is considered to be a part of over 500 species. The name for the plant Campanula comes from the latin meaning ‘bell’ – campana – as this beautiful flower has bell-like blooms with a deep back to the flower. Campanulas grow in Europe, North America and Asia in temperate climates.

Pink campanula is actually one specific form of a wider class of flowering plants known simply as campanula, which traditionally flower blue-purple, having been bred or hybridised into the pink forms.

Popular Varieties of Pink Campanula

Pink campanula, available in a range of varieties, with the most popular, perhaps, being the following: 1. Carnival ‘Romantika’ white with light-pink flowers in trusses of three and five, 50cm to 60cm tall and 40cm to 50cm wide. 2. Carnival carmine white with deep carmine flowers on upright, 40cm tall stems, 40cm or more wide. 3. Carnival rosina pink to mid-purple, clear flowers, 30cm to 40cm tall and wide. Extra large flowers from June until late August 4. Carnival white light pink flushed with white, sturdy plants, 40cm tall and wide. 5. Carnival rosa pizzeyi rosy pink, slightly diphillous purple flowers formed as a tall rounded head, 40cm to 50cm tall and wide. 6. Carnival white Two richly white flowers on a short to medium, upright stem, 30cm to 40cm tall and 30cm to 45cm wide. 7. Carnival violet pale lilac-mauve to blue, all the flowers are upright and all form trusses of three and five, 30cm to 40cm tall or wide. 8. Flavum flavus lemon-yellow, arching stems, 15cm to 20cm tall or wide.

Campanula ‘Pink Octopus’: With a common name that’s a bit of a giveaway, the strikingly pink flowers of this plant remind one of octopus tentacles. They have beautifully cut, fringed petals, and are low-growing, spreading plants suitable for ground cover or to soften borders.

Campanula carpatica ‘Pink Clips’: This compact, bushy form bears multitudes of soft pink flowers in late spring and early summer, and is excellent for planting in rock gardens, containers or as an edging plant.

Campanula persicifolia ‘Pink’: Butterfly bellflower or peach-leaved bellflower, this has tall spikes of pale pink flowers and is excellent for cottage gardens and mixed perennial borders.

Campanula medium ‘Pink’: Also called Canterbury bells, the flowers are large, cup-shaped and pink, on tall, strong stems. A classic addition to the garden.

These are but a few of the many varieties of pink campanula out there for gardeners to choose from. The next time you go to your local garden centre or nursery to buy flowers for your next plant sale, you will be pleased to see the large selection of pink formulas that are available to you. No matter what your taste is, you are sure to find a pink campanula that suits you.

How to Plant Pink Campanula

Choosing the Right Location

Choose your spot: while most pink campanulas like to grow in well-drained soil and full sun to at least partial shade, some are more fussy than others when it comes to sun; for example, Campanula carpatica is well suited to life under full sun while some, like Campanula persicifolia, prefer partial sun.

When you are sited your plant, make sure the soil is fertile and rich in humus (organic matter). If the soil is dry and sandy or heavy clay, fork in a large dose of well-rotted compost or manure just before planting.

Planting Pink Campanula

Pink campanula, to be planted in the garden from seeds, seedlings, or mature plants, starts from seed indoors in late winter or early spring. Plant seedlings in the garden when frost danger has passed, spacing them about 12 to 18 inches apart, depending on the species.

Dig a planting hole exactly twice the diameter of the plant’s root ball, plant the plant, backfill with soil, and water in for a few days to help the roots get established.

Container Planting

It’s also ideal for growing in containers, making it perfect for patios, balconies or small city gardens. When planting in containers, choose a good quality potting mix and make sure that the drainage hole is ample in size. Water the plant well and ensure that the soil remains evenly moist but not waterlogged. This will prevent root rot.

Caring for Pink Campanula

Watering and Fertilizing

Watering is key to keep the pink campanula plants thriving, even though they are drought-tolerant once established. Water it sufficiently to keep its soil evenly moist and well-drained. Make sure the soil isn’t waterlogged. Water the campanula plant regularly, particularly in dry weather, without making it oversaturated.

If you’re feeling generous, feed your pink campanula with a slow-release, balanced fertiliser in the spring, when it starts to push out new growth, and again with a liquid fertiliser every four to six weeks throughout the growing season. Don’t be heavy-handed with fertiliser, or you’ll help your pink campanula develop more leaves at the expense of flowers.

Pruning and Deadheading

With pink campanula, you’ll also need to both prune and deadhead to keep the plant looking its best – and live longest. Deadheading, or removing faded flowers, incentivises a pink campanula plant to continue producing even more blooms, and prevents it from going to seed too soon. Examine your plants regularly and snip off dead flowers just above the nearest set of leaves.

Cut the plant back to the ground in late fall or early winter, when it’s finished flowering for the season. This makes a tidy spot for yourself in the winter garden and will encourage new spring growth.

Mulching

At the soil level, mulching around your pink campanulas will help keep moisture in, keep weed growth to a minimum, and moderate soil temperature. Lay some organic material – shredded bark, or compost works well – around your plants in early spring. Make sure it doesn’t touch the plant stems, or risk rot.

Common Pests and Diseases

Pests

Campanula species in shades of pink are generally healthy, but still can succumb to problems Pests that can attack your campanula include:

Aphids: These tiny sucking insects insert their piercing mouthparts into the plant juices to feed. This feeding causes leaves to roll in and out, becoming misshapen. Control aphids by spraying the plant with insecticidal soap or introducing predatory insects such as ladybugs.

Slugs and SnailsEyesores, slugs and snails also love young, tender campanula foliage – use baits or traps, and consider putting copper tape around containers to deter them.

Spider Mites: These pests can cause stippling and discoloration of leaves. Especially in humid environments, regularly misting your plants and using insecticidal soap can help you keep a lid (or lidar) on spider mites.

Diseases

Though quite disease-resistant, each of these varieties is prone to different fungal diseases under similarly humid periods or too much water. Some of the diseases are as follows:

Powdery Mildew This fungal infection manifests as a whitish, powdery coating on the leaves. Don’t let your plants get isolated from each other or get overcrowded. Powdery mildew can be kept at bay by allowing plenty of room and good ventilation between plants, and by avoiding overhead watering. If there are signs of infection of leaves, remove them and apply a fungicide as required.

Root Rot: Overwatering or poorly drained soil can cause the roots of a plant to rot, a condition known as root rot. To avoid root rot, plant campanula in well-drained soil and avoid overwatering.

Rust. Rust is another disease that, in addition to damaging the leaves with orange or brown type spots, also affects the deeds and chips the fruit. It is best to prune out and destroy infected leaves. However you can also spray fungicide to control the spread of the fungus.