Each plant has up to four bluish-green long stalked flowers that are dark blue near the centre and often have black spots.

[3][2] Cape bluebell was first formally described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus who gave it the name Campanula capensis and published the description in Species Plantarum.

[6] The specific epithet (capensis) refers to the native distribution of the species, the ending -ensis being a Latin suffix "denoting place, locality or country".

[7] Wahlenbergia capensis is widespread in, and restricted to the Western Cape between Clanwilliam and Knysna in South Africa.

[8] It is an introduced species occurring in the south-west of Western Australia where it is found between Kalbarri and Tambellup.