Creeping Bellflower
More than a garden weed?
Creeping bellflower, Campanula rapunculoides, has long been considered a garden weed, but this year there have been reports of it spreading into natural areas. We'd like to better understand its impact in our forests, savannas and natural areas. Report it only if it's found in a natural area - not in a garden, tended area or urban community. Learn more about identification and management at these two Extension webpages.
Pictures from iNaturalist: Banner zm6ie, left pictures: sp4rrows
Using iNaturalist
Watch this 1:24 minute video to learn how to report to iNaturalist.
Remember: Report creeping bellflower only in forests and natural areas.
Creeping bellfower ID
Watch this 3:20 minute video from the University of Wisconsin, Madison for an overview of creeping bellflower identification. Additional information visit this great MN State Horticultural Society article.
Then review the images below to see the differences between creeping bellflower and native look-alikes tall bellflower and harebell.
Native tall bellflower ID
Tall bellflower (AKA American bellflower), Campanulastrum americanum, is much taller and the flowers are open and not as bell shaped as creeping bellflower. Tall bellflower can be quite showy. To learn more visit MN Wildflowers.
Photo by A. Gupta, UMN Extension
Native harebell ID
Native harebell, Campanula rotundifolia, has a similar purple flower, but it's less robust and the leaves are very different.
Photo by Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org
All questions about this project should be directed to Angela Gupta, UMN Extension Forester, agupta@umn.edu