Campanula isophylla is native to a narrow strip of northwest Italy — the Ligurian coast and its hinterland — and has spent centuries being passed between gardeners across the temperate world as a cottage windowsill plant and, more recently, as a container and hanging basket subject. It grows 8 inches or less in height but trails considerably wider, its soft stems bearing pale green, heart-shaped leaves and a succession of purplish-blue, star-shaped flowers from midsummer through autumn. The flowers measure about 1.5 inches across and have a freshness that makes the plant hard to ignore when well grown. A white form exists and is equally appealing. The common name 'Falling Stars' captures exactly what a well-grown specimen looks like as it spills over a pot edge in full bloom.

The plant is only marginally frost-hardy, surviving outdoors in zones 7a to 10b at best, and is more practically treated as an annual or cool-season houseplant in most of the United States. As a houseplant it requires at least 15 hours of daylight before flower buds develop, so supplementary light extends the flowering season into earlier summer. The brittle stems break easily during handling and repotting — this is one plant that rewards a careful, unhurried approach. Pinching back stem tips during the growing season encourages bushier growth and more flowers; cutting stems to the base at season's end tidies the plant for overwintering. Keep the potting mix consistently moist but never waterlogged, and use a mix with added perlite or coarse sand to ensure drainage.