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
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.