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Pick two or three seeds to see how they grow, side by side: sprouting, spacing, sun, water, frost and pet safety in one table.

Comparing Canterbury Bells vs. Alpine Aster vs. African Marigold

The comparison

Canterbury Bells vs. Alpine Aster vs. African Marigold

Units
Growing facts for Canterbury Bells, Alpine Aster and African Marigold, side by side
Fact
Canterbury BellsCampanula medium
Alpine AsterAster alpinus
African MarigoldTagetes erecta
DifficultyModerateModerateEasy
Life cycleNot yet verifiedPerennialAnnual
Germination time7–14 daysNot yet verified4–7 days
Germination temperature18–20 °C64–68 °FNot yet verified24–27 °C75–81 °F
Sowing depthOn the surfaceNot yet verified6 mm¼ in
SunFull sun, partial shadeFull sunFull sun, partial shade
WaterModerateNot yet verifiedModerate
ContainersYesYesYes
Frost toleranceNot yet verifiedHardyTender (no frost)
Soil pHNot yet verifiedNot yet verifiedpH 6.0–7.0
Links
How to grow canterbury bellsRemove canterbury bells
How to grow alpine asterRemove alpine aster
How to grow african marigoldRemove african marigold

Up close

Meet the seeds

What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.

  • Canterbury bells with pale yellow bell-shaped flowers and buds on a stemFlowers

    Canterbury Bells

    Campanula medium

    Difficulty: ModerateGrows in pots

    Canterbury bells is a biennial with bell-shaped blue, pink, or white summer flowers. Seed is surface sown from late spring to early summer, and the plant does best in cooler climates.

    How to grow canterbury bells
  • Alpine aster flowers with lilac petals and yellow centres growing among grass in a meadowFlowers

    Alpine Aster

    Aster alpinus

    Difficulty: ModerateGrows in pots

    Alpine aster is a clump-forming perennial with violet daisy-like flowers, about 4 to 20 inches (10 to 50 cm) tall, that grows in full sun and well-drained soil and is hardy.

    How to grow alpine aster
  • African marigold plants growing in a field with many orange pompom flowers under a cloudy skyFlowers

    African Marigold

    Tagetes erecta

    Difficulty: EasyGrows in pots

    African marigold is a tender annual grown from seed in full sun, with fragrant leaves and showy flowers that attract butterflies. It also grows well in containers.

    How to grow african marigold

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The table, row by row

How to read a comparison

Every row is a fact from each seed's own profile, lined up so the differences stand out.

  1. Sprouting

    Germination time and temperature

    How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.

  2. Sowing

    Sowing depth and spacing

    How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.

  3. Timing

    Days to maturity and life cycle

    How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.

  4. Light and water

    Sun and water

    Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.

  5. Space and weather

    Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH

    Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.

  6. Pets

    Toxicity to cats and dogs

    Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Quick wins

Fastest to sprout

Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.

Pet friendly

Safe around cats and dogs

Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.

Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.

Comparing

Questions about comparing

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Two or three at a time. Pick them in the boxes at the top, or start from any seed's page with “Compare with another seed”.
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Where do the facts come from?
From each seed's profile. Every fact there is researched and reviewed by our editors before it goes live.
Can I see metric or imperial units?
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Each seed's page explains how to grow it from seed, with facts researched and reviewed by our editors.

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