MINNEAPOLIS — At first glance it looks like a pretty purple flower. The creeping bellflower has appeared everywhere in gardens, yards and alleys this summer.
The invasive plant is native to Europe and can easily take over a garden. While it benefits some native bees and insects, it competes with plant species that are more beneficial to pollinators. It spreads quickly and produces around 15,000 seeds per pod.
According to Julie Weisenhorn, a horticulture educator at the University of Minnesota Extension, the creeping bellflower is difficult to identify because it takes on new shapes as it grows.
It starts as a young heart-shaped leaf. Then it becomes more pointed before changing into long and narrow leaves. It spreads quickly and is difficult to kill.
“It’s so widespread that there are groups on social media that are opposing it,” Weisenhorn said.
More than 14,000 people have joined the Facebook group ‘Creeping bellflower battles’.
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“It showed up in my yard and it looked so beautiful, but a year later I realized what was going on,” said Jan Fransen of St. Paul.
Fransen spreads the word by placing informative bookmarks in her small free library.
Creeping bellflower is difficult to uproot, so Weisenhorn also suggests treating it with an herbicide called Clopyralid. She says to follow the directions on the label. And once you’ve removed it, burn or bag the bellflower to prevent it from spreading.
Kirsten Mitchell
