Balloon Flower or Platycodon Grandiflorus is a hardy perennial, that will have your summer garden popping with large blossoms in a number of pastel shades. They come in violets , blues, white and soft pinks. The Balloon Flower is native to Northeastern Asia, the name comes from the Greek word “platys” meaning ” broad” and “codon” for “bell”.
The Balloon Flower comes in several interesting varieties. One such variety is the “Mariesii” this variety grows 1 to 1 1/2 feet high and is often used in rock gardens. Also the “Apoyama” this one is a dwarf variety that does well in pots, and the variety that the flower perhaps gets it’s name from the “Komachi” has the balloon shaped flower that never fully opens.
Balloon Flowers prefer a sunny location , but if you are in a warmer climate see that they get some shade during the day. They also prefer a rich soil that is well drained but will do surprisingly well in many different soil conditions. They can be grown in zones 3 – 10 , refer to our climate map on the blog page of our website www.watchusgrow.com
Unless you are very patient, I would suggest buying seedlings as the plants grown from seed can take up to 2 to 3 years before they will bloom.