Campanula persicifolia 'Alba', commonly known as the white peach-leaved bellflower, is a graceful and easy-going perennial that brings elegance and brightness to any garden. Its tall, slender stems topped with pure white, bell-shaped flowers make it ideal for borders, cottage gardens, and pollinator-friendly planting schemes. A long-flowering favourite, this variety adds a touch of classic charm with very little effort.
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Common Name: White Peach-Leaved Bellflower
Flower Colour: Pure white
Height: 0.9m (3ft)
Spread: 0.3m (1ft)
Flowering Time: June to July
Hardiness: Very hardy down to -20°C and below (RHS H7)
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil
Campanula 'Alba' produces masses of bell-shaped, snow-white flowers on tall, upright stems, providing a striking vertical accent in the summer garden. The blooms are lightly nodding and have a delicate, translucent quality that catches the light beautifully, making them especially effective when planted en masse or woven through a mixed border.
This variety is known for its generous flowering period, blooming reliably from early summer through to late July. With regular deadheading, it can continue to produce flowers over a long season, offering ongoing colour and interest during the warmest months of the year.
The nectar-rich flowers are a magnet for bees and other pollinators, making Campanula 'Alba' a valuable addition to wildlife-friendly gardens. Its open, accessible blooms are particularly appreciated by bumblebees and hoverflies during the height of summer.
Forming neat clumps of narrow, lance-shaped green foliage, Campanula 'Alba' maintains a tidy appearance even when not in flower. It works well at the middle of a border, where its airy stems can rise up through lower-growing plants without dominating the planting scheme.
Campanula 'Alba' is a low-maintenance and versatile perennial that suits both formal and informal garden styles. It’s particularly effective in cottage gardens, wildlife borders, and white-themed planting schemes. It prefers moist but well-drained soil and will grow happily in both sun and partial shade.
Watering: Water regularly during dry spells, particularly in the first year after planting.
Potted: Can grown in pots can be planted at any time of the year providing the ground is not frozen or waterlogged.
Feeding: Apply a general-purpose fertiliser in spring to encourage strong growth and flowering.
Deadheading: Remove spent flower spikes to encourage more blooms.
Dividing: Lift and divide congested clumps every 3–4 years in spring or early autumn.
With a hardiness rating of RHS H7, Campanula 'Alba' is fully hardy throughout the UK, enduring harsh winters and returning year after year with fresh foliage and a new flush of flowers. It can cope well with a range of conditions and is a dependable choice for gardeners of all levels.
Campanula 'Alba' pairs beautifully with other classic perennials such as:
These combinations help create a soft, romantic look while supporting biodiversity.
This graceful bellflower offers months of reliable blooms, excellent pollinator value, and a low-fuss nature. Its classic form and refined white flowers suit a wide range of garden styles, making it an easy and rewarding choice for any gardener.
Bring timeless elegance and pollinator-friendly colour to your garden with Campanula 'Alba'. A reliable performer that returns year after year with very little care required.
Buying Perennials from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our perennials after flowering and trim them back at the end of the season to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy perennials, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
From late autumn onwards and dependent on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
Perennials are described and classified differently by different gardeners but all would agree that they are plants that come into flower every year from early spring to late summer, the exact time dependent on variety and most die back to ground level in autumn and winter.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
Always check eventual plant heights when planning borders to ensure that the taller plants are at the back (or at the centre of an island bed) followed by the medium and then smaller low growing plants.
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
If perennials get too big, start to flower less and less or if it seems to be dying off from the centre, consider dividing the plant but always check that the particular variety is happy to be divided and that you divide at the right time of year for the plant.
By using this simple guide and a little time, perennials can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
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