Melinda Myers

Balloon Flower

Botanical Name

Platycodon grandiflorus

Min Zone

3

Max Zone

8

Height

24 to 36 inches

Flowers

Summer: blue, white, pink; 2 to 3 inches, single and double forms; flower buds are balloon-shaped and will pop when squeezed

Fall Color

Gold

Light

Full to part sun

Soil

Moist, slightly acidic, not tolerant of wet soils

Planting & Care

• Slow to emerge in spring
• Deadheading will prolong bloom and improve appearance
• Easily grown from seed, flowering the second year after sowing
• Division is tricky because of the fragile, stringy root system
• Best left undisturbed once established
• Taller varieties are often floppy and require staking
• Cutting plants back by half in May will result in fuller plants with sturdier stems

Varieties

• Double Blue - 18 to 24 inches, double blue flowers
• Fuji series - seed grown; blue, white or pink
• Hakone Blue - 20 inches, double blue flowers
• Apoyama - violet blue flowers all summer long, 10 inches
• Sentimental series - compact, 6 to 8 inches tall by 12 to 15 inches wide, blue or white flowers
• Shell Pink - soft pink flowers, 18 to 24 inches, color washes out in full sun