Campanula tommasiniana

[Gene Mirro]

This is a beautiful little bellflower with a cascading habit.  It is native to the mountains of Croatia and adjoining areas.



I sowed the seed on 12/20/08, and the photo was taken on 8/9/09.  

Germination:  I got my original seed from Jelitto.  I surface-sowed it, and enclosed the pot in a sealed plastic bag, and placed it six inches under fluorescent lights at about 60F.  The seeds germinate irregularly after about two weeks.  I got another batch of seed from Goteborg Botanic Garden, and they are germinating the same way (in April 2011).  The seedlings are very tiny, and must be protected from slugs, etc.  As soon as I can see the seedlings, I start feeding them with soluble fertilizer.  For more details about soil mix, etc., see this post:  http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=635.0

Google it for more info and photos.

[RickR]

Adorable!  And to me, slightly reminiscent of C. wanneri.  Is it perennial?

(My interest perks up with anything that hints of Slovenia.)

[Gene Mirro]

It's perennial in the greenhouse, but I haven't tried it outdoors yet.  In nature, it's very cold-hardy.  Symphyandra wanneri is definitely biennial, and has a bushy plant form:



Compare this with the monstrous S. cretica:



S. wanneri set tons of seed here; S. cretica set none.

Here is a photo of a C. tommasiniana plant that must be several years old:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/image_files/onlineshow/sizedCamp%2520tomasiniana881.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/competitions/online-show/2006/rock%2Bplant%2Bnative%2Bto%2BEurope/70/&usg=__-mFoj3Yd4g0o_R18TvYgAbAN7cc=&h=480&w=640&sz=66&hl=en&start=12&sig2=UwL0fiuEUPnFXi0wq1DcsQ&zoom=0&tbnid=bt-85RX8gnhEvM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&ei=s7mjTaLqDYi8sAO44pH5DA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcampanula%2Btommasiniana%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1C1GGGE_enUS405US405%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D653%26tbm%3Disch0%2C519&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=565&vpy=341&dur=34&hovh=103&hovw=137&tx=68&ty=48&oei=QbmjTan6JZP6swO3oP35DA&page=2&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:12&biw=1024&bih=653

[Lori S.]

That's a beauty, Gene!  Yet another in the seemingly endless variety of garden-worthy campanulas! 

[Weiser]

Gene
Your photo of Campanula tommasiniana is  lovely. I like the flare of the petal tips.

[Gene Mirro]

I sowed more seeds on 11/5/12.  This is what they look like today:



The rate of growth is outrageous.  It may be because I transplanted them directly into a deep band.  But they really love growing under the fluorescent lights.  I wouldn't be surprised if they bloom in four months from seed.

[deesen]

Excellent book I can thoroughly recommend:-

Dwarf Campanulas and Associated Genera by Graham Nicholls published by Timber Press 2006