Codonopsis lanceolata seed

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers sandy loams. Winter hardy to -15C, so it is advisable to grow this vine in a sheltered location with a winter mulch.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Codonopsis is a perennial, twining vine in the bellflower family. It typically grows to 10-15′ tall but dies back to the ground each winter. Features greenish, nodding, bell-shaped flowers (to 1.25″ long) with pale bluish-purple shading on the outside and with violet spotting and/or striping inside. Blooms in late summer. Elliptic-ovate green leaves (2-3″ long) are clustered at the branch ends. Roots of this Asian native vine are commonly used in Korean cooking. Plants in the genus Codonopsis are sometimes commonly called bonnet bellflower.

Problems – No serious insect or disease problems.

Garden Uses – Perhaps best woven through large shrubs. May be grown on trellises in somewhat the same manner as clematis.

SOWING ADVICE: seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. we advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. if the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. they may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.