Seek and destroy: Beware the creeping bellflower, the attractive and invasive garden guest you can't get rid of
The creeping bellflower plant can take over yards and suck the life out of more desirable plants in a short period of time because it is extremely invasive. It’s now blooming and about to seed. Horticulturalist John Ostrowdun says now is a good time to get the word out to all Calgarians – gardeners and non-gardeners alike.
Ostrowdun says the plant's pretty appearance may trick some into believe it is harmless, “People give it to their friends, because it's a beautiful perennial, which is why it spreads as fast as it does. And once you get it, it's quite hard to get rid of.”
According to Ostrowdun once you have creeping bellflower in your garden, getting rid of it may not be easy, “It's a lot of manual labor, a lot of chemical treatment, and then just keeping up on it," he said. "I know in my own yard, when I first bought my house it took me a good five years of hard work to get it, where it's now manageable. It still pops up once in a while, I still periodically find it in my yard and I just remove it right away when I see it.”
Creeping Bellflower or campanula rapunculoides is a low-growing clumped foliage in spring and grows to one metre tall flowering spike in early summer. The plant's leaves are heart-shaped in early stage and become more lance-shaped, tooth-edged and coarse textured as they mature.
Creeping bellflower, July 21, 2021
The flowers are purple-blue, two-to-three centimetres long nodding bells and blooms begin on the plants lower stem.
According to the city of Calgary pest management website,” Once established, creeping bellflower is very difficult to remove as even the smallest tiny root fragments can grow entirely new plants. It also spreads very easily as each stem produces up to 15,000 seeds. Creeping bellflower is also resistant to some herbicides.
Creeping bellflower is also known as garden bluebell, rover bellflower, purple bell, garden harebell, creeping campanula, creeping bluebell.”
Ostrowdun said if you enjoy the look of this plant but not the way it's been taking over your yard, you do have some alternatives to consider, “(There are) some campanula that aren't as aggressive but look like this, things like delphiniums work really well, penstemons work really well, if you like that same look.” So there are quite a few options you can use in the garden to replace that plant that you may enjoy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
With DNA break, police ID victim in decades-old Newfoundland case
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing plan defeated in House of Commons
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing bill has been defeated in the House of Commons with the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois voting against the legislation.
B.C. man to be extradited to U.S. on charges of sexually assaulting stepdaughter
A British Columbia man will be extradited to the United States, where he faces a possible life sentence if convicted of charges that he repeatedly sexually assaulted his stepdaughter, after losing his appeal of the extradition order Tuesday.
Trudeau must more publicly support ICC decisions amid Israel-Hamas war: ex-ministers
A group of prominent former politicians and current academics is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to change his tone on the possibility of arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders.