Botanical Name: Campanula carpatica ‘Blue Clips’

Common Name: Campanula, Carpathian Bellflower

Hardiness Zone: Perennial in Zones 3–8

Size: 6–8" Tall × 12–18" Spread

Growth Habit: Compact, Mounding, Clump-Forming Habit

Sunlight: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil: Well-Drained Soil; Performs Best in Average Garden Soils

Water Needs: Moderate; Prefers Even Moisture, Drought Tolerant Once Established

Bloom Season: Late Spring through Early Summer (Occasional Light Rebloom)

Fertilizer: Light Feeding with a Balanced Fertilizer

Features: Clear Blue, Upward-Facing Bell-Shaped Blooms, Dense Flower Display, Excellent Cold Hardiness, Classic Perennial Reliability

Uses: Ideal for Borders, Rock Gardens, Edging, Groundcover Plantings, and Containers

Patent: ❌ Not Patented

Propagation: ✔ Can Be Propagated

See our complete Campanula Plant Guide for more in-depth care details.

More About Campanula ‘Blue Clips’

Campanula ‘Blue Clips’ is one of those dependable old-fashioned perennials that earns its spot year after year. This Campanula forms a neat, low mound of rich green foliage topped with clear, true-blue, upward-facing blooms that almost look like little cups set out to catch the morning light. The color is a calming, classic blue that plays beautifully against brighter Summer perennials. It stays compact and tidy, which makes it perfect for the front of the border, tucked into a rock garden, or edging a walkway where you can really appreciate the details up close.

‘Blue Clips’ blooms heavily in late Spring into early Summer, creating a solid blanket of color. After its main show, the foliage remains clean and attractive, forming a tight mound that holds its shape without flopping or sprawling. It’s not one of those nonstop rebloomers, and that’s perfectly fine—it does its job beautifully, then rests. What makes it such a staple is its cold hardiness and reliability. Once planted, it settles in and becomes part of the garden’s rhythm, returning faithfully each season.

Why We Like It (Our Trials)

In our trials here in the Upstate, ‘Blue Clips’ has been one of the most consistent performers in the perennial yard. It establishes steadily, even in our heavier clay soils once amended, and it keeps that nice compact habit without ever looking wild or overgrown. I’ve planted it along stone edging near our Courtyard beds, and every Spring it softens the hard lines of the stone just enough to make everything feel welcoming instead of rigid.

One year, I tucked a few plants along a sunny walkway where customers pass by daily. When they came into bloom, I can’t tell you how many people stopped and bent down just to look closer. That’s always my test—if someone has to lean in to admire it, it’s a keeper. It handles short dry spells once established and doesn’t demand much beyond average watering and a little feeding in Spring. I especially love the way it gently spills over stone borders or anchors the very front edge of a perennial bed without overpowering its neighbors. It’s simple, reliable, and quietly beautiful—and sometimes that’s exactly what a garden needs.

Blue Clips vs. Other Campanula Varieties

Compared to newer selections like 'Rapido Blue’, ‘Blue Clips’ blooms slightly later and follows a more traditional growth pattern. Rapido Blue offers earlier flowering and a more refined, uniform habit, while Blue Clips delivers a classic look with proven garden longevity.

Compared to its sibling, White Clips, it shares the same compact, clump-forming habit and controlled growth, but brings a cooler, more saturated blue tone that reads slightly bolder in the landscape, while Clips White offers a softer, brighter presence that blends more subtly with surrounding plantings.For gardeners seeking a timeless blue Campanula with dependable performance, ‘Blue Clips’ remains an excellent choice.