# Canterbury Bells (*Campanula medium*)

Canterbury Bells are beautiful flowers that come in shades of blue, pink, and white. They have bell-shaped petals that attract bees and butterflies to the garden.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens

![Canterbury Bells](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Campanulaceae_-_Campanula_medium-3.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Campanulaceae_-_Campanula_medium-3.JPG)

## Appearance

The Canterbury Bells has striking, large bell-shaped flowers in vibrant shades of purple, pink, blue, and white, often with a delicate ruffled or 'cup-and-saucer' texture. Its upright stems present a charming, old-fashioned look, distinct from smaller, simpler bellflowers.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Campanulaceae
- **Genus:** Campanula

## Interesting facts

- Canterbury Bells can produce so many flowers it looks like a floral tower!
- Its scientific name, Campanula, means 'little bell' in Latin.
- Some Canterbury Bells flowers have a unique 'cup-and-saucer' shape!
- These lovely flowers have been grown in gardens for hundreds of years!

## Special abilities

- **Pollinator Party:** Canterbury Bells has brightly colored, bell-shaped flowers that act as a beacon, attracting many buzzing bees and butterflies to help it spread pollen.
- **Sweet Scent Signal:** Canterbury Bells produces a mild, sweet fragrance to call pollinating insects, ensuring its flowers are visited often to make seeds.
- **Biennial Bloom Boost:** Canterbury Bells is a biennial, meaning it grows leaves one year and blooms brilliantly the next, saving energy for a huge flower display!

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 60-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-45 cm
- **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Biennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from blooms
- **Pollinates:** Painted Lady butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — Visits flowers for sweet nectar
- **Eats:** Common garden snail (*Helix aspersa*) — Feeds on tender leaves and petals

## Traits

- [Bell-Shaped Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/bell-shaped-flower): Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.

## Collections

- [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Enjoy the beauty of Canterbury Bells from a safe distance and avoid touching them without permission.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Canterbury Bells?

Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Canterbury Bells?

60-90 cm

### How wide does Canterbury Bells spread?

30-45 cm

### How big are the flowers on Canterbury Bells?

3-5 cm

### When does Canterbury Bells bloom?

Late spring to mid-summer

### Is Canterbury Bells edible?

No

### Is Canterbury Bells toxic?

None

### What is Canterbury Bells's lifecycle?

Biennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Canterbury Bells: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/canterbury-bells)