# Creeping Bellflower (*Campanula rapunculoides*) The Creeping Bellflower is a pretty flower that grows close to the ground. It has lovely blue or purple bell-shaped flowers that attract bees and butterflies, making gardens more colorful and lively! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Creeping Bellflower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Creeping_Bellflower%252C_Ottawa.jpg&width=800) Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Creeping_Bellflower%252C_Ottawa.jpg) ## Appearance The Creeping Bellflower has slender, upright stems that can reach over three feet tall, adorned with lance-shaped leaves. Its distinctive deep violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers droop in a one-sided cluster along the upper stem, making it stand out from most native wildflowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Campanulaceae - **Genus:** Campanula ## Interesting facts - Each small flower can produce hundreds of tiny seeds, carried far by the wind! - Its edible roots taste a bit like parsnips, a yummy garden vegetable! - Its scientific name means 'like a little radish' because of its tasty roots! - Once a pretty garden flower, it escaped cultivation and now grows wild! ## Special abilities - **Underground Network:** Creeping Bellflower can quickly spread using powerful underground stems called rhizomes that help it colonize new areas. - **Root Power:** Creeping Bellflower has a deep, thick taproot that helps it find water and nutrients, making it tough to remove. - **Seed Shower:** Creeping Bellflower produces thousands of tiny seeds annually, ensuring new plants can sprout far and wide. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to early fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — An important native pollinator. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on leaves and stems. - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — Rabbits may graze on young plants. ## 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. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Creeping Bellflower? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Creeping Bellflower? 30-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on Creeping Bellflower? 1.5-2.5 cm ### When does Creeping Bellflower bloom? Summer to early fall ### Is Creeping Bellflower edible? Yes ### Is Creeping Bellflower toxic? None ### What is Creeping Bellflower's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Creeping Bellflower pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Humboldt (Alexander Von) Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/humboldt-alexander-von-park) — Illinois, US · Park - [Lilacia Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lilacia-park) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Palmer Square Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/palmer-square-park) — Illinois, US · Park - [Fort Mackinac](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-mackinac) — Michigan, US · Historic Site - [Lake Superior Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-superior-zoo) — Minnesota, US · Zoo - [Nine Mile Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nine-mile-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Creeping Bellflower](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/creeping-bellflower) ## 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*) --- Source: [Creeping Bellflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-bellflower)