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Campanula rapunculus
Also called Rampion bellflower
Rampion is a biennial bellflower whose leaves and turnip-like root were once eaten like spinach and radish. It grows best in loose, well-drained, fertile sandy loam that is neutral to alkaline.
Campanula rapunculus, common name rampion bellflower, rampion, rover bellflower, or rapunzel, is a species of bellflower (Campanula) in the family Campanulaceae.
This species was once widely grown in Europe for its leaves, which were used like spinach, and its parsnip-like root, which was used like a radish.
The rampion can be cultivated as a crop. It is sown at the beginning of June. A loose soil is favourable, fertilisation is not necessary. It grows best in well drained, rich sandy-loam soils which are neutral or alkaline with a pH of 4.8-7.5. The seeds are very small (thousand grain weight 0.04g). For a more uniform seedling distribution, 20 times the amount of sand is mixed with the seeds before sowing. The row distance should be 20–25 cm. The seeds are not covered, but only lightly pressed onto the surface of the soil. After germination, the plants must be thinned. The roots can be harvested from October onwards throughout the winter.
On a soil rich in carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen, a dry matter of up to 135g/m2 is possible, whereas on more sandy soils or sub-soils only 12-17g/m2 is achieved.
Campanula rapunculus is present in western Asia, northern Africa and in most of Europe, except Iceland, Ireland and Norway. It has been introduced in Denmark, southern Sweden and Great Britain. This species was once widely grown in Europe for its leaves, which were used like spinach, and its parsnip-like root, which was used like a radish.
Campanula betulifolia · Tussock bellflower · Fairy's Thimble · Adriatic bellflower · Campanula gelida · Dane's blood · Falling Stars · Milky Bellflower · Adria Bellflower · Trailing Bellflower · Solitary Harebell · Chimney Bellflower
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Campanula rapunculus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
