Campanula 'MARIËL RED BELLS' bellflower

Campanula

The genus Campanula is one of the largest and most deeply rooted groups within the European flora. Depending on the taxonomic approach, it includes approximately 300 to 500 species, with the greatest diversity concentrated in the Mediterranean region, the Balkans, and the mountain ranges of Europe and western Asia. The genus was formally described by Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) in 1753 in his seminal work Species Plantarum, where he already noted its remarkable variability in form and growth strategy. Bellflowers have accompanied people for centuries not only as ornamental plants, but also as part of folk symbolism, where the bell-shaped flower evoked voice, calling and protection. Genetic studies point to an ancient origin and repeated adaptations to extreme habitats, ranging from alpine screes to dry limestone slopes.

The variability and adaptability of many perennial bellflowers attracted numerous breeders who began working with their hybridisation as early as the late 19th century. Pure botanical species are undoubtedly beautiful, but they are often inconsistent in appearance and behaviour, short-lived in flower, or poorly adapted to garden conditions. For this reason, targeted breeding took place in research stations and nurseries, where a balance between natural character and reliability was sought. An important role was played by figures such as Karl Foerster (1874–1970), who in his Potsdam nursery systematically selected and crossed perennials with an emphasis on longevity and garden performance, including several groups of bellflowers. His work was continued by British growers such as Alan Bloom (1906–2005) in Bressingham, who integrated bellflowers into a modern concept of perennial planting. Breeders have therefore long focused on species such as C. portenschlagiana, C. poscharskyana and C. carpatica, originating from the Balkans and the Carpathians, which naturally combine low growth, abundant flowering and the ability to regenerate. These species were described at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, for example Campanula carpatica by Johann Christian Jacquin (1727–1817), and they very quickly became part of garden culture and everyday life, from rural gardens to urban courtyards.