Campanula trachelium - Organic perennial

The cuckoo flower (Campanula trachelium) is an up to 1 m high perennial of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae). The plant is also used in the ornamental garden.

The sharp-edged stem and the leaves are stiffly haired.

The upper leaves are sessile or have short stalks, but the lower leaves are longer and have a heart-shaped base. The lanceolate leaves are double-serrated.

The 2.5-5 x 2-4 cm flower is purple and hairy inside with long stiff hairs. The flowering period is in July and August. The flowers are grouped in clusters along the top of the stem, which has little or no branching, and the fruit is a box-like fruit with straw-like holes through which the seeds are released. Its natural range covers Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. In the Netherlands, it is no longer protected by law as of 1 January 2017.

The plant is a host plant for the bell dwarf spider moth (Eupithecia denotata), a moth of the family Geometridae, which in the Netherlands is known mainly from southern Limburg. (Source: wikipedia)

BIO-NL-01