Perennial of the Campanulaceae family, native to circumpolar and subarctic regions, found in Kamchatka, the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and northern Japan, where it grows in alpine meadows, windy coastal rockeries, and grassy slopes, generally at low altitude under these extreme latitudes.
It forms small, dense, compact cushions, only 5 to 15 cm in height, with a very compact habit adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of its natural habitat. The leaves are small, oval to spatulate, slightly hairy, with a matte green color, persisting in tight rosettes at ground level.
The flowers are remarkably large compared to the size of the plant: large upright bells, pale blue-violet to lilac, often streaked with darker veins inside, borne singly on short stems. This disproportion between the ample flower and the small foliage is the most striking feature of the species.
In its natural environment, its flowering extends from July to August. In cultivation, it generally occurs in June-July.
It requires very well-drained soil, poor to moderately fertile, slightly acidic, in full exposure. A choice plant for cultivation in cold rockeries, troughs, or cold alpine greenhouses.