Campanula americana (Tall Bellflower)
Campanula americana (Tall Bellflower)
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$30 minimum per species for seed.
$30 minimum per species for seed.
Each species requires a minimum of $30 of seed to proceed with checkout.
Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) expresses the viable seed content of a seed lot using its purity and germination or viability test results. It helps you compare seed lots and calculate how much bulk seed is needed to meet a specified PLS planting rate.
PLS weight and bag weight
PLS weight is not the same as the total weight of seed in a bag. For example, a lot with 80% purity and 75% viability contains 60% PLS: 80 × 75 ÷ 100 = 60. Supplying 10 lb PLS from that lot requires about 16.67 lb of bulk seed.
Use the current seed test and the stated basis of the mix specification. Germination calculations may include applicable hard or dormant seed. Seed-count estimates also require the number of seeds per pound; PLS alone does not provide a seed count.
What to check when buying a mix
Check whether each rate is stated in PLS pounds, bulk pounds, or a combination. A mix with both bases should not be described as having an all-PLS total.
PLS does not remove weed seeds or guarantee establishment. Review the seed label and analysis for weed content, and match site preparation, planting conditions and follow-up management to your project.
Sources: USDA NRCS, Understanding Pure Live Seed and The Importance of Seed Quality for Natural Resource Conservation.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Tall bellflower may live as an annual or biennial, with height varying greatly by site. Its violet-blue flowers suit partial light and rich soil with dependable moisture.
For Campanulastrum americanum, choose partial sun to light shade and moist to mesic soil. Recorded habitats include moist to slightly dry deciduous woods; Open woods; Woodland margins; Thickets. Reported height: 2-6 ft.
Its below-ground structure is described as taproot. Choose the permanent location with that root structure and the mature size in mind. Planning the surrounding space at planting time reduces the need to reorganize an established bed later.
Plant specifications
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Partial sun to light shade |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Moist to mesic |
| Height | 2-6 ft |
| Bloom season | Mid-summer to early fall |
Native landscape companions
For partial sun / light shade and mesic soil, consider these native plants alongside Campanulastrum americanum:
| Companion plant | Height |
|---|---|
| Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum) | 3-6 ft |
| Bur-reed Sedge (Carex sparganioides) | 12 to 40 inches |
| Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum) | 1–3 ft |
| Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) | 2-6 ft |
These landscape suggestions combine overlapping growing needs with documented plant associations. Match soil, seasonal wetness and mature spread to your site. Remnant records are described separately under Plant communities & associates.
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Tall annual or biennial |
|---|---|
| Root form | Taproot |
| Soil pH | Published cultivation guidance lists neutral soil conditions; no optimal numeric interval is established. |
| Cultivation hardiness zones | Zones 4a–8b (general cultivation guidance) |
| Drought tolerance | Often loses lower leaves during drought; overall tolerance is not rated |
| Deer browsing | Deer occasionally browse flowers and foliage. |
| Salt tolerance | None |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Campanulastrum americanum |
|---|---|
| Other common names | tall bellflower; American Bellflower; American Tall Bellflower; Tall Bellflower |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary. |
| Plant family | Campanulaceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 700000 |
Planting, growth & seasonal care
Flowering season: mid-summer to early fall. Use this timing when planning seasonal interest with the other plants in the bed.
Often loses lower leaves during drought; overall tolerance is not rated.
Browsing guidance: Deer occasionally browse flowers and foliage.
Seed preparation: USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary.
Use the selected product option to confirm the supply format and quantity. For a mixed planting, calculate the order from the actual species and layout; a plant’s mature height alone does not determine a seed rate or plug spacing.
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associatesNo verified list yet
Illinois woodland and stream communities
Middle Fork Woods, Vermilion County (1999–2002 survey). Recorded in: mesic ravine forest; dry upland bluff — east-facing river slope; dry upland bluff — west-facing creek slope; dry-mesic upland forest — immature second growth; perennial stream corridor.
Mesic ravine forest — selected native associates: Geranium maculatum, Phlox divaricata, Asarum canadense.
Dry upland bluff — east-facing river slope — selected native associates: Carex pensylvanica, Carex rosea, Bromus pubescens.
These plants share a recorded habitat; they were not necessarily found in the same small plot.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
State nativity describes a broad range. Use the Chicago-region assessment for local context; a state listing does not establish county nativity.
| Wetland indicator — NWPL 2022 Midwest | FAC |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 4 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Arkansas; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Regional assessment notes
This taxon is native to parts of the United States. Flora of the Chicago Region (2017) also records this taxon as native in the Chicago region.
These records describe botanical distribution. They do not establish county occurrence or suitability for every site; an unlisted state is not proof of absence.
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlifeNo verified list yet
No additional named relationships have been verified for this listing.
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for Tall Bellflower?
Light: Partial sun to light shade. Soil moisture: Moist to mesic.
How do I germinate and establish Tall Bellflower from seed?
USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary.
Is Tall Bellflower deer and herbivore resistant?
Deer occasionally browse flowers and foliage. Even plants described as resistant may be browsed. Use physical protection where deer damage is a concern.
When should I expect Tall Bellflower to bloom?
Typical flowering period: Mid-summer to early fall. Timing varies with location and weather.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Landscape companion selection: Natural Communities compared the growing requirements shown on these species pages with selected source records: Perennial stream corridor — East-central Illinois. The shortlist is a planting-design inference. A shared record does not establish adjacency, identical soil requirements, local seed origin, or a tested planting combination. Regional synthesis records retain their documented focal-to-associate scope.
Illinois woodland records: Larimore, Phillippe & Ebinger (2008), Middle Fork Woods flora, Appendix I. © 2008 University of Illinois Board of Trustees, CC BY 4.0. Habitat records transcribed, selected and linked to catalog names by Natural Communities. Survey: 1999–2002.
Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); USACE National Wetland Plant List; Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online.
Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA NRCS PLANTS; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox.
Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.
Research notes & credits
USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Retained for comparison; the displayed C-value follows Flora database 80.
U.S. state nativity: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 4 June 2026 release, under Campanulastrum americanum. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; CC BY 3.0. Native records selected; introduced, doubtful and extinct records excluded. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data; no endorsement is implied. State nativity is separate from Chicago-region nativity, county occurrence and the origin of nursery stock.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
Growing guidance: Illinois Extension — Keeping deer out of the yard and garden. Selected facts in original wording. General deer advice is not a species resistance rating.
Plant Shipping & Care
Plant Shipping & Care
We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.
As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.
Choices to Receive Your Plants & Accessories
- Website orders: Seed, plugs and bare-root plants offered for shipping are shipped to your address. Shipping charges are calculated at checkout.
- Container trees and shrubs: Some #3 and #5 container options are offered for scheduled pickup only. Check the selected product option and the cart pickup instructions before ordering. Pickup and shipped items require separate orders where indicated in the cart.
- Wholesale orders: Delivery and pickup are arranged separately according to the order, supplier yard and location. Wholesale pickup is free.
- Pickup locations and dates are confirmed by email. Please wait for confirmation before traveling to a pickup site. Our offices are not retail stores or nursery pickup locations.
Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready
We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.
Wholesale Orders
- Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.
Retail & Website Orders
- Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
- Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
- Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
- If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months.
- Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
- Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
- If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready. In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments
- Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability. We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish. If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date. If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
- Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
- Apparel & accessories are ready typically within one to two weeks. See product page for holiday shipping.
Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
- Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Shipments
- Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
- Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
- Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
- Water your plants
- Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
- If you cannot install your plants immediately
- Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed Shipping & Care
There is a minimum order requirement of $30 for each seed species. Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed.
We have attempted to put together some basic information regarding native seed installation, establishment, and maintenance. We hope you find it helpful. If you need further assistance on native seed establishment, please schedule a free consolation call here.
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Native Seed Establishment Best Management Practices
Native Seed Stratification Best Management Practices
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