Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

Harebells are easily recognized by their delicate, bell-shaped, blue flowers that hang downwards suspended from thin, wiry flower stems. The scientific name, rotundifolia, meaning round-leafed, is misleading, as when the plant is in flower the most obvious leaves are long and narrow. Plants usually grow in clumps, rather than singly, and the splashes of blue formed by patches of harebell flowers are easy to spot in late summer and early autumn.

Harebells can be seen in many areas of Norfolk, being found in a wide range of habitats including heaths, dry sandy banks, and grassy places on poor shallow soils. They thrive on both acid and chalk soils. Harebells are common in parts of Breckland. They can also be seen on nature reserves including NWT Roydon Common.

July to September. Harebells are evergreen perennials and the clusters of long stalked, heart shaped, toothed leaves remain green in winter. Seedlings develop small round leaves during the colder months. Between April and June flower stems develop, growing to a height of 15-40cm. The leaves which grow in this period are long and thin, sometimes branched on the lower stem, but lance shaped higher up the plant. First flowers appear in June but the main flowering season is July to September. The harebell is a late summer flowering species which brings a splash of colour to the countryside at a time when many other flowers have finished flowering. Only a few of the plants continue to flower into October. The first hard frosts put an end to harebells’ flowering.

Join a conservation group or volunteer at NWT and help protect grasslands and heathlands rich in wildflowers as nature reserves. If you have harebells growing on your land, allow the plants to set seed (October - September) before mowing, and avoid disturbing the ground to protect the underground rhizomes of this perennial. Grow harebells in your garden, they grow readily from seed and do well on rockeries and in freely-draining areas of poor soil.