Croatian bellflower is a clump forming herbaceous perennial and a member of the Campanulaceae family that also includes balloon flower, ladybell (Adenophora), and Lobelia. It is native to the mountains of Croatia and surrounding area where it grows in calcareous rock crevices and cracks. Plants are often sprawling and have branched stems with thick lanceolate leaves that are lightly toothed and 1-2″ long. The nodding light blue flowers are narrowly tubular, 3/4″ long, and crowd the ends of the branches in early to mid summer. Croatian bellflower is a good choice for a scree bed or wall, as well as alpine and rock gardens. The genus name, Campanula, comes from the late Latin word campana meaning bell and refers to the form of the flowers. the specific epithet, tommasiniana, honors Muzio Giuseppe Spirito de Tommasini, the 19th century magistrate and botanist at Trieste, known for his work on Dalmatian flora.
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Bloom: Nodding light blue, narrowly tubular, 3/4″ long, flowers at the ends of the branches in early to mid summer.
Size: 6-12″ H x 12″ W
Light:Full sun; tolerates some shade.
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 5-8
Care: Low maintenance
Pests and Diseases: Slugs and snails
Propagation: Seed, cutting in early spring and summer
Companion Plants: Persian stonecress, Artemesia ‘Silver Mound’, Edelweiss, alpine phlox