Tall Bellflower
By
Sally Sisson Anderson
Western Wildlife Corridor
Artist in Residence
In late spring the Tall Bellflowers bloom along the edge of our hill and also along the path up the hill in the woods nears us. The Tall Bellflower has a flat star-shaped flower in a light blue-purple color. The bloom is about one inch across. These flowers are arranged along a terminal leafy spike from June to August. From the center five petals a stylus protrudes that drops and then turns upwards from the flower. The thin long pointed leaves have toothed margins. This plant likes to grow in moist woods and on hillsides. The Latin name of this species is Campanulastrum Americanum.
In the Western Wildlife Corridor, the Tall Bellflower can be found be the Kirby Nature Preserve, also at Turkey Haven; it can be found at Buckeye Trace, and at Bender Mountain. The Tall Bellflower is native to eastern North America and is an annual or biennial. Long-tongued bees and bumblebees are pollinators of the flowers also butterflies and skippers. Deer like to eat the flowers and leaves too.
A large central stem shoots up from the basal rosette to a height of about three to six feet. The stem is light green, grooved, and hairy. The primary root is a taproot. The bellflower has alternate leaves of light green. They are three inches in length, willow-like in shape, and pointed with toothed edges. The tall bellflower blooms are showy but short-lived. However new flowers are produced higher up on the spike as time goes on. There are many flat-topped seed pods.
There are similar species of Bellflower. There is Venuse’s Looking Glass which is more purple. There is also a Creeping Bellflower which is a Eurasian plant.
Tall Bellflower has some medical uses. Both the Native Americans and the early settlers used them as medicine. The leaves were brewed into tea for treating coughs and tuberculosis. An infusion of the crushed roots was used for treating pertussis (whooping cough). You can learn more about the Tall Bellflower and other native plants on our upcoming Spring Wildflower Walks.