Nettle-leaved bellflower

Nettle-leaved bellflower: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright clump 50–80 cm tall and about 30 cm wide; the stems are sharply angled and rough to the touch.

Leaves

Heart-shaped and long-stalked at the base, narrower higher up; coarsely toothed and hairy, like a nettle leaf.

Flowers

Bells 3–4 cm long, blue-violet or white, with long hairs inside; one to three together in the leaf axils along the upper half of the stem. From June to August.

Fruit

A nodding capsule that opens at the base and releases many fine seeds.

Roots

A short, thick rootstock; the clump spreads slowly, and new plants come mainly from seed.

Flowering: June–August · Sowing: March–April · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March and August

Why grow it?

• Native and excellent for wild bees, including species that only collect pollen from bellflowers.
• Flowers for three months in summer, even in partial and full shade.
• Ideal for a wildlife garden, a woodland edge or a hedgerow, under trees and between shrubs.
• Tough and easy: it tolerates chalk and heavy clay.
• Self-seeds freely and so fills gaps in a natural way.

Nettle-leaved bellflower: where does it grow best?

• Partial shade is ideal, but it also grows in sun and in light shade under trees.
• Loam or clay, neutral to chalky; it is less happy on poor, acid sand.
• Moderately moist: neither drying out nor waterlogged.
• Space plants about 30 cm apart, ideally in groups of five or more.

Light

Sun, partial shade and shade

Soil type

Loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.8 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Foxglove: Another woodland-edge plant, with tall spikes in early summer.
• Solomon’s seal: Elegant arching stems in the same light shade.
• Ferns: Green foliage that shows off the blue-violet bells.
• Columbine: Flowers earlier, in spring, in the same spot.
• Hardy geranium: A loose underplanting that covers the base of the stems.

Nettle-leaved bellflower: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October.
2. Loosen the soil well and mix in some leaf mould, especially on heavy clay.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil.
4. Keep about 30 cm between plants; it looks best in a group.
5. Water well straight away and keep the soil moist during the first spring.
6. A mulch of leaf mould or shredded leaves suits its woodland-edge character.

Care

Water

Once established, only during long dry spells, especially in a sunny spot.

Feeding

Not needed; a layer of leaf mould in March is enough.

Deadheading

Remove spent flowers if you want fewer seedlings; leave them for seed and for insects.

Support

Usually not needed. In rich soil or deep shade the stems may lean; a few twiggy sticks between the plants help.

Seedlings

Weed out surplus seedlings in spring or move them to another shady spot.

Tip: Plant it in a group under a tree or along a hedge and let it self-seed freely: you will soon have a natural woodland-edge look. Only cut spent stems where you do not want seedlings.

Nettle-leaved bellflower: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and August.

When: After flowering, in August, you can cut back the spent stems. If you leave them for seed and insects, cut them down in March.

How:

• Cut spent stems back to just above the leaves at the base.
• If you want it to self-seed, leave a few stems until the capsules are brown.
• In March, cut the old, dry stems down to the ground before the new shoots appear.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow outdoors in March–April on a fine seedbed or in a pot. The seed is very fine and needs light to germinate: do not cover it, just press it in lightly and keep it moist. Or simply let it self-seed.

Division

In March or September, lift an older clump and cut it into pieces with a spade, each with roots and shoots.

Nettle-leaved bellflower: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −35 °C: no protection needed.
• Most of the top growth dies back in autumn; in spring it regrows from the rootstock.
• Leave the old stems until March as shelter for insects and for the seed.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs and snails: They eat the young shoots in spring. Pick them off in the evening and keep the soil around young plants clear.
• Rust: Orange pustules on the undersides of the leaves. Remove affected leaves and do not plant too closely.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in dry summer weather. Water during dry spells and plant with space for air.
• Too many seedlings: It self-seeds freely. Cut spent stems in good time or pull out seedlings in spring.

Through the year

• March: Cut down old stems. Plant, sow or divide.
• April: Sow. Watch for slugs on the young shoots.
• May: Thin out or move seedlings.
• June: Flowering begins. Wild bees visit the bells.
• July: Full flower. Water during long dry spells.
• August: Flowering ends. Cut spent stems or let seed ripen.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. Leave old stems for insects.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Some wild bees, such as the large and small scissor bees, only collect pollen from bellflowers; nettle-leaved bellflower is one of their favourite plants.
• At night and in bad weather, males of small solitary bees often shelter inside the bells.
• In England it is also called ‘bats-in-the-belfry’, after its hanging bells.