Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Harebell

Description:

Beautiful large, blue bell-shaped flowers rise above finely toothed, round, dark green foliage; long blooming from summer to early fall; excellent addition to containers, garden beds or in fresh cut arrangements; low maintenance and easy to grow

Ornamental Features

Olympica Bluebells features delicate spikes of lavender bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from early to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its round leaves remain green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Olympica Bluebells is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Self-Seeding

Olympica Bluebells is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Olympica Bluebells will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Olympica Bluebells is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.