Notice

Colin Mills, compiler of the Hortus Camdenensis, died in late November 2012 after a short illness. As he always considered the Hortus his legacy, it is his family's intention to keep the site running in perpetuity. It will not, however, be updated in the near future.

Campanula medium L. var. flore pleno

See Campanula medium L.  A double form, probably naturally occurring as a monstrous form.  The double Canterbury Bells available today are a later development.

Horticultural & Botanical History

Don describes C. medium var. beta A.DC. as ‘a monstrous polypetalous plant.’  For many years these monstrous forms were the only double flowers available. The Gardeners Chronicle commented that some ‘remarkably fine specimens’ of this flower [Canterbury bell] were recently sent to the Horticultural Society.  They were both dark and light coloured, very large, and the number of flowers in the ‘usually distorted state’ was inconsiderable.  [Gard. Chron. 1842].  This is possibly the first description of ‘improved’ double Canterbury bells and is probably the plant grown by Macarthur.  In 1857 The Gardeners Chronicle reported on a new Double Canterbury Bell, exhibited at the Lincoln Horticultural Society by W. Bromehead, Vicar of Bracebridge, who named it C. Bromeheadiana. The editors commented: ‘This is a very fine double blue Canterbury Bell.  We have seen nothing as large before.  The raiser gave a detailed description of his methodology.  [Gard. Chron. 1857].

History at Camden Park

Only listed in the 1850 catalogue although it is possible that it was intended to be inserted in the blank H.42 in the 1857 catalogue.

Notes

Published Sep 28, 2009 - 11:44 AM | Last updated Jul 16, 2010 - 10:47 AM

Family Campanulaceae
Category
Region of origin

Southern Europe

Synonyms
Common Name

Double Canterbury Bells

Name in the Camden Park Record

Campanula medium flore pleno 

Confidence level high