Campanula collina

Campanula collina in bloom on the grassy slopes of the Caucasus
Campanula collina

Perennial of the Campanulaceae family, native to the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, where it grows on grassy slopes, edges of clear forests, and high-altitude rocky areas, generally between 800 and 2,000 meters.

It forms upright and elegant clumps 20 to 40 cm in height, from a rhizomatous base. The basal leaves are oval-lanceolate, slightly crenate, of medium green, with the stem leaves becoming progressively sessile and narrower towards the top of the stems.

The flowers are the main asset of this species: large, hanging bells, of a deep and velvety purple-violet, borne in unilateral and arched clusters that give the plant a supple and graceful silhouette. The inside of the corolla is paler, creating a slight contrast with the strong exterior hue.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August. In cultivation, it generally occurs in June-July.

It requires well-drained soil, moderately rich, in a sunny to semi-shaded exposure. Relatively little known in collections, it deserves a place in large rock gardens or borders, where the flexibility of its flowering stems can be fully expressed.