Harebell

Plant Info

Also known as:	Bluebell Bellflower, Bluebells of Scotland
Scientific name:	Campanula rotundifolia
Family:	Bellflower (Campanulaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun to part sun; rocky slopes, open woods, meadows
Bloom season:	summer
Plant height:	6 to 20 inches
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Flowers are about ¾ inch long, blue to blue-violet, bell shaped with 5 slightly flaring pointed lobes. A long style protrudes from the center, its tip splits into 3 parts as the plant matures. A plant may have a single flower, or a loosely arranged raceme at the top of the stem.

Leaves and stem:

There is a rosette of 1-inch round basal leaves that withers away by the time the flowers bloom. The stem leaves are vary narrow and grass-like, up to 3 inches long, alternately attached. They tend to angle up and curve down. The main stem is very slender. One plant can have multiple stems, so it looks like a clump, the leaves a tangled mass.

More photos

• Harebell plants, about 12 inches tall
• more flowers

Photos taken at Wild River State Park, June 2008

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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