Harebell

Ethnobotany

With a nodding, bell-shaped blue blossom at the end of a slender stem, typically 20–35 cm tall, the harebell blooms in July and August. It grows on grassy slopes and open areas. One of over two hundred and fifty Campanula species worldwide, this particular one is the famous “bluebell of Scotland”. The milky white sap of the plant is easily observed by plucking a single leaf-tip. 

The Cree people dried the roots of harebell to use as a compress to stop bleeding and reduce swelling. The roots were chewed to relieve heart ailments. (Royer and Dickinson 363) 

Botany

Growth habit and range: Harebell is a common, upright perennial herb with multiple stems which can be found throughout the prairies on moist to dry sites. This plant grows to a height of 10–50 cm.

Description: The basal leaves are few in number, occur on a long stalk, are rounded in shape, and measure 10–25 mm long. The stem leaves are linear to oblong and 1–5 cm in length. The flowers are borne in a nodding, terminal raceme of 3 or 4 flowers, are blue in colour and bell-shaped. The 5 pointed petals of each flower are joined to form the bell-shaped corolla. Each blossom measures 15–25 mm in length and is associated with a shiny green calyx at its’ base. Flowering time is June to September. The fruit is a papery capsule measuring up to 1 cm in length. This structure contains the many shiny, brown seeds.

References

• Royer, France and Richard Dickinson. 2007. Plants of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing, AB.