21 Comments
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Patty Matherly Dolllive's avatar

All of that—and they are lovely, too!

Bonnie's avatar

Amazing photos of a flower I’ve never seen.

Diane Porter's avatar

What state do you live in Bonnie? It's not found in the West at all.

Bonnie's avatar

I lived in WNY my whole life life, now in WPA.

Al Batt's avatar

I am lucky to get to see MY GAIA.

Diane Porter's avatar

Well thank you Al. I'm lucky you do too!

Penny J Leisch's avatar

Beautiful flowers and wonderful story. It sounds like a glorious experience to walk in those woods during that display.

Pru Foster's avatar

I can't tell you how delighted I was to see you were writing about Campanulastrum americanum! I ADORE THIS PLANT. I grew a few carefully from seed about 4 years ago and now I have this statureseque beauty popping up in the most wonderful of places. Great to learn about it - especially interested in the male and female flower blooming behavior. Thank you.

Diane Porter's avatar

Yes, it is rather wonderful how it moves around on its own. I no longer plant it but just appreciate it wherever it springs up. Which is all over the place.

Jady Conroy's avatar

I am going to share this fascinating column with my daughter. She has recently been blessed with a carefree population of American Bellflower which she can view from her kitchen window!

Thanks for all of your careful information dealing with the science of things. I am a plant nerd and I love learning about nature.

Linda Sonrisa Jones's avatar

“Truth be told, I felt blessed” Love this, dear Diane 💜 I also want to sleep in the embrace of a flower…will try to imagine it!

Diane Porter's avatar

Nice thought. I will think of that when I go to sleep tonight. Thank you Linda.

Sandy S's avatar

Oh my! Such amazing pics Diane! Love how you breakdown the complex life of this beautiful wild Tall Bellflower. Must say, the name leaves me scratching my head as I don't see any 'bells' and the flowers, at least from a distance remind me more of a larkspur or delphinium. I used to grow 'Cups and Saucers' as one of the other campanulas is sometimes called. https://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/campanula.html

Please know I am not disagreeing! Totally enchanted to know of this Tall Bellflower! And it's method of seed production to allow for future viability is beyond what one might guess at! I went back just now to look at all of your terrific pics and noticed that the male bumble bee of your first shot is hugging a flower with an open style with pollen on his legs as he slumbers. Perhaps he flew to this plant with the last heat of the night, from another plant! :-)

Natasha Atkins's avatar

what a fabulous sequence of photos, and informative text, Diane. Always such a feast for the eyes and the mind. Thank you!

Larry Stone's avatar

Fascinating natural history lesson! I've always loved bellflowers - but now will admire them with new respect! Thanks!

Joanne Toft's avatar

Love how you captured this in your photos. Thanks for the information. I am chasing the invasive creeping bellflower in you garden. It loves taking over but now I wonder about its reproduction process as well. I do not it seeds every where!

Carmine Hazelwood's avatar

This campanula is one of the native-to-eastern-North-America’s versions of invasive European creeping bellflower, which takes over many yards and alleys in urban Minnesota. A lovely blue my iPhone cannot seem to capture.

Michael Cirigliano II's avatar

I dream of replacing the creeping bellflower in my Minneapolis yard with tall bellflower. Such a similar beauty in their blues. But at this point it would mean ripping up so much soil — it’s everywhere, and the roots are so deep and strong. 😱

Carmine Hazelwood's avatar

It can be done. Especially if you’re a meticulous, compulsive type like I am. ☺️ I dug out all of them from my Mpls yard when I moved in, and they were everywhere. Mostly before I planted anything else. However it took 2 to 3 years to catch all of the regrowth where I had missed any little fragments of the roots. If you can’t or don’t want to dig it out, you can just keep pulling the stalks and leaves all growing season to eventually starve the tubers of energy. They will give up the ghost eventually, but it will take about 5 years of serious persistence to eliminate it that way. Good luck! Whatever you do, don’t let it flower/go to seed….🤣🤣

Susan Wittig Albert's avatar

What a wonderfully *sexy* arrangement! Diane, your photos are simply amazing.

Bettspugs's avatar

I LOVE THESE FLOWERS!