Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Campanula lactiflora
Milky Bellflower
- Family
- Campanulaceae
- Height
- 3 to 5 feet
- Width
- 1 to 3 feet
- Flower color
- Pale blue, lavender, or white
- Foliage color
- Green, lance-shaped leaves
- Bloom time
- Early summer to mid-summer
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Moderate; prefers well-drained soil
- Maintenance
- Low; deadhead to encourage prolonged blooming, cut back after flowering
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 5 to 7
- Wildlife
- Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
About this plant
Campanula lactiflora, commonly known as milky bellflower, is a graceful perennial that produces clusters of soft lavender-blue or white, star-shaped flowers. Blooming from early to mid-summer, the delicate, bell-shaped flowers appear in dense clusters atop slender stems, creating a light, airy display that adds vertical interest to garden borders.
Native to the Caucasus region and parts of Turkey, Campanula lactiflora is prized for its long blooming period and elegant floral display. It is commonly used in cottage gardens, mixed borders, and naturalistic plantings, where its soft colors and abundant blooms bring charm and a touch of wild beauty to the landscape.
Works well in
Borders · Cottage Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Cut Flower Gardens
Companion plants
Lungworts · Daylilies · Japanese anemones · Bleeding hearts · Catmint · Heucheras
Design tip
Summer flowers carry the middle of the season, so place it where the bed needs color once spring bulbs fade. It takes sun or light shade, which makes it useful along the changing light of a bed edge or a partly shaded border.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen in the perennial border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
