Harebell (Alaska Harebell, Bluebell)
Campanula alaskana
Family:
Bellflower family - Campanulaceae
A graceful and resilient plant, harebells enchant with their delicate blue flowers and slender form, offering a whisper of wild beauty to gardens and attracting a host of pollinating insects.
Woodland garden
Meadow / Grassland garden
Rock garden
Pollinator garden
Adaptable
Drought tolerant
Details
Emerges
Seed collection
Flowers
June, July, August, September, October
Blue
August, September
Height
20
-
55
cm
Lifecycle
Perennial
Width
20
-
30
cm
Habit
Forbs
Upright
Herbaceous
Ecology
Supports
Bees
Providing
Nectar source
The bell-shaped flowers are particularly attractive to native bees and other pollinating insects. Aside from serving as an important nectar source in the garden, the flowers give insects a nice place to nap. Peak inside the blooms and you may spot a sleepy denizen.
Habitat
Typically found in
open woods, disturbed areas, meadows, prairie
This species is often found in woodland edges, sandhills, and clearings. Its ability to adapt to various, often challenging, environments highlights its resilience.
In the Garden
Growing Conditions
Moisture
Dry
Average
Light
Full sun
Part sun
Part shade
Soil
Average garden soil, Gravel, Sand, Rocky
Propagation
Via
Seeds
Self-seeding
Sowing Recommendations
Sow seeds uncovered
Mix with sand
Fall planting
High or easy germination
Landscape
Use for:
Border
Mass planting
Low maintenance gardening
Accent plant
Single planting
Growing Tips
Harebells thrive in a variety of conditions with well-drained soils with partial to full sun.
Their slender form and captivating flowers make them ideal for adding vertical interest and a splash of color to the front of borders, among larger, leafier plants, or scattered in a rock garden, either in groups or as single plants.
They will self-seed but do not spread and are easily managed.
Suggested spacing for planting is 20 - 30 cm.
Description
Harebells feature a slender, erect habit with bell-shaped, vibrant blue flowers that hang delicately from thin, wiry stems. The plant's grace and form add an ethereal quality to garden spaces, blooming continously from early summer well into fall.
Its ability to do well in poor soil, coupled with its drought tolerance once established, makes it a versatile addition to sustainable landscapes. It is an easy, low maintenance plant—very little seems to bother it.