Clustered bellflower

The Clustered bellflower is a soft-haired herbaceous perennial plant with broad ovate leaves. Its branched stalk, which secretes milk-white sap, grows to 20 - 80 cm in height. Large bell-shaped bluish-purple flowers grow in clusters on the stalk and bloom throughout the summer from June to August. It can be distinguished relatively easily from other bell-shaped large herbaceous plants by its compact clustered bloom.

The Clustered bellflower grows in fresh meadows, on forest edges, roadsides, marshes, wastelands and glades. Its range extends from Western Europe to Central Siberia. It is also grown in gardens as an ornamental plant thanks to its beautiful flowers.

It benefitted once from slash-and-burn agriculture, establishing new habitat in burnt glades. The species has since declined, with the loss of habitable sites. The preservation of valuable traditional biotopes requires continuous use and care of the areas.