Campanula choruhensis

[Gene Mirro]

Campanula choruhensis is a low-growing rock plant from Turkey with large, beautifully shaped white flowers in midsummer.  



Here is the closely related C. betulifolia:



To me, the big difference is the recurved flower petals in choruhensis.

I got the seed from the NARGS exchange in 1/09, lot #617.  Seed was sown on 1/16/09, and this photo was taken on 7/23/10.  

Germination:   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.  The seedlings 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.  It is mentioned in Ward's "The Plant Hunter's Garden".  
http://books.google.com/books?id=FQIIHEHu1EQC&pg=PA290&lpg=PA290&dq=campanula+choruhensis&source=bl&ots=1tMTYnl-H2&sig=d4p1j351Qq03dUMeZkERqfv4P0c&hl=en&ei=DqujTbfnJYOosAPWr5T5DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFAQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=campanula%20choruhensis&f=false
It's described as a challenging plant, but I didn't find it difficult at all.  Maybe it's picky about climate.  I garden in SW Washington state, in a cool location.  I grew it on a raised bed of sandy loam in nearly full sun.  I got a few blooms the first year, and fully developed plants the second year.  The plants are starting to grow again now (4/11/11).  Survival is nearly 100%.  They are also doing well in the unheated greenhouse.  

I've noticed that some of the photos of this plant do not have the strongly recurved petals.  I wouldn't be surprised if there is a continuous gradation of forms between choruhensis and betulifolia in the wild.  Also, when the flowers first open, they are not recurved.

[Todd Boland]

I grew it but the slugs loved it!

[Hoy]

Another thread I have overlooked! Nice and very floriferous plants, Gene!

Todd, if your slugs love it I am certain mine do too!

[Todd Boland]

C. trogerae is another that I have lost to slugs on many occasions.  Slugs love campanula as a rule but these fuzzy-ones are especially tasty it seems.

[cohan]

Nice plant, Gene-- if there is a plant under those flowers

Todd-- that's counterintuitive- I'd have thought that fuzzy plants would be safer!

[Lori S.]

If you look very closely, you can detect that Campanula trogerae is pubescent.  It's a relatively subtle feature, not really in the same class of "fuzziness" as plants that would really be noted for that... and evidently, it's not near fuzzy enough to deter slugs, in areas that are prone to them!  

[cohan]

If you look very closely, you can detect that Campanula trogerae is pubescent.  It's a relatively subtle feature, not really in the same class of "fuzziness" as plants that would really be noted for that... and evidently, it's not near fuzzy enough to deter slugs, in areas that are prone to them!  

We do have slugs here- and no doubt they have enjoyed the last several wet years! But I see very little plant damage from them, oddly- a couple ( out of dozens) of seed pots were affected last year, but not fatally, even though I find them often under rocks, wood etc (slugs, that is, not seed pots, those mostly stay where I put them).. I can only think our large number of birds- and maybe toads and shrews and other rodents etc? keep the slugs in check....

[Lori S.]

Yes, of course there are slugs here.  By "areas that are prone to them", I intended to refer to the areas where forumists complain frequently or constantly about slug damage in their rock gardens. 

[Hoy]

Thinking of me

[Lori S.]

Yes, how did I know you would pop up whenever slugs were mentioned?? 

[cohan]

Yes, of course there are slugs here.  By "areas that are prone to them", I intended to refer to the areas where forumists complain frequently or constantly about slug damage in their rock gardens. 

I knew what you meant (and who you were thinking of ) I'm just surprised I don't see more damage, since I have quite a few of the critters maybe they are just waiting for me to plant more Campanulas -only the native and very common C rotundifolia so far-- oh yeah- a couple of patches of C rapunculoides! That isn't suffering for sure...

[Hoy]

They could have all the C. rapunculoides I have, but they don't give it a second look. The same with other weedy things like Meconopsis cambrica and Circaea lutetiana. Once I was proud of having germinated them but now they are among the worst weeds as the snails and slugs pay no attention to them at all

[cohan]

Of course they only want the more precious things... snobs....lol