Symphyandra wanneri

‘Violet Belle’

RING BELLFLOWER

No WA

Symphyandra wanneri ‘Violet Belle’
RING BELLFLOWER

Symphyandra wanneri ‘Violet Belle’ is a charming relative of the Campanula family.
Not permitted for entry to WA

A ball of large, rich violet-blue tubular bells

Ring Bellflowers routinely turn themselves into balls of large, showy blue-violet tubular bells through spring and summer.
And this lovely ‘Violet Belle’ form bears particularly large and richly coloured bellflowers.
With flowers held floating by a network of wiry red stems, above a compact mound of pretty foliage.

Easy to raise from seed & grow in the garden

Symphyandra wanneri ‘Violet Belle’ is very easy to raise from seed and to grow in the garden.
(See GROWING section below for details).

Grows in a wide range of positions

‘Violet Belle’ grows happily and blooms its head off in a wide range of positions, from dappled light and shade under trees and shrubs, to full sun positions.
It loves well drained soils, and thoroughly enjoys rocky or sandy soils as well as average garden loam.
Plus it can tolerate both acid and alkaline soil pH; and it is also a salt tolerant plant.
So ‘Violet Belle’ is a pleasure seaside gardeners can also enjoy to the full.

Water-wise & able to cope with dry periods

Symphyandra wanneri ‘Violet Belle’ is a native of Greece and Bulgaria, so it is naturally adapted to summer heat and humidity as well as dry periods, and then cold, frosty winters.
Plus Ring Bellflowers are water wise and do not demand much additional water.

Pretty foliage rosette of fresh green all year

The evergreen foliage rosette of ‘Violet Belle’ is also particularly decorative, with glossy, vivid green leaves and daintily scalloped edges leaves.
So it is perfect for edging a garden bed, underplanting taller shrubs, or a decorative container.
With long profuse blooming together with an attractive foliage rosette.

Bee & pollinator friendly

Symphyandra wanneri ‘Violet Belle’ is a treasure trove for our flying helpers, with abundant nectar, copious and long flowering.

Resistant to rabbits & deer

Happily rabbits and deer do not find Symphyandra a tasty flavour, and will pass it by on the way to the lettuce patch.

Self sows

25cm. High x 45cm. Wide ball of summer flowers on wiry red stems.
Monocarpic (meaning it flowers for a long season, sets copious seed and sows the next generation of plants around itself, then waves bye-bye).

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suitable for beginners & gardening with kids

Sow seeds indoors at any time / or scatter in the garden late winter-early spring

Sow indoors for early & quick plants: First sow the seeds in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Now gently pat the seeds to the surface of the mix to ensure good contact.
But do not cover the seed with mix, as these seeds need light to germinate.

Now thoroughly moisten the punnet by standing in a shallow water bath.
And allow the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Then drain and cover the seed punnet with a clear lid to retain moisture (glass, perspex or plastic are all suitable).
And place in a warm, well-lit position (not in any direct sunlight)

Temperatures of 18-20°C approx. are best for rapid and optimum germination.
You can use a heat mat if you have one, but it is not essential. A warm, well-lit corner will do nicely.

Then keep the punnet moist by misting from a spray water bottle as required, but do not saturate.
Covering with a clear lid can help to maintain consistent moisture and prevent drying out.

Seeds germinate in 14-28 days approx.

Pot on seedlings once two sets of leaves appear to harden off and mature before planting out in the garden.

A pretend winter may be needed

However if the seeds are shy to sprout, they have entered natural dormancy and require a period of moist cold to break their slumber.
So wrap the sown, moist punnet in cling-wrap or a plastic bag, and place in the fridge (not freezer) for 6 weeks.
This will mimic the cold winter these plants are accustomed to.
After 6 weeks, remove, unwrap, moisten thoroughly again, and return to the warm, well-lit position for germination.

Seed Count; 20 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

GROWING: Symphyandra wanneri

Height with flowers: 25cm approx.
Width: 45cm approx. of glossy, serrated foliage rosette.
Position: Full Sun as well as Partial Shade with some shade an advantage in hotter areas.
Soil: Best in slightly alkaline, well-drained soil. However they will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions and are well adapted to sandy or rocky soils.
Because they like lime, they are perfect companion underplanting for roses.

Frost: Very frost hardy and can tolerate hard frosts down to approx. -20C. depending on conditions.
Growth: Hardy and self-seeding biennial with a thick ground hugging rosette of foliage, and 25cm stout flower stems above. With showy blooms branching off the many stems.
Birds & bees: Bees and other other beneficial insect pollinators all adore sipping from the nectar rich flowers. While the trumpet shaped blooms are perfectly made for native honey-eating birds.

Care: Easy care and low maintenance.
Apply a slow release fertilizer in early Spring to boost flowering.
Additionally just tidy up any spent blooms to encourage even more flowers. Cutting back any spent flower stems during the flowering season will bring on more rapid repeat blooms.

Origin: Symphyandra wanneri is native to fields and open woodlands in Greece and Romania. So it is well acquainted with summer heat, humidity, as well as winter cold.

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