Balloon Flower Plant Profile

Balloon Flower Plant Profile

Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) is an attractive perennial flower that is native to parts of Russia and Asia. It is a member of the Campanula family that includes Lobelia and Bellflower. It is hardy to USDA Zones 3 to 8.

The flowers bloom in summer and are typically a true blue, white, or pink. The flower gets its name from the buds that form a hollow balloon then pop open into a star-shaped blossom.

The flower stalks are generally between 18 to 36 inches tall, though some dwarf cultivars top out at about 12 inches high.

Balloon Flower prefers to grow in full to part sun in moist, but well-draining soils. Fertilizer is not necessary. You can give it a light mulching of composted leaves once the plant emerges in spring.

It is deer-resistant and fairly disease-free. Slugs and snails can be an issue for it in some climates.

If you let the seed heads form, it can self-sow around the mother plant, but is not really weedy or invasive. To prevent reseeding, simply deadhead the spent flowers. You can also propagate new plants by saving the seeds and planting them in mid- to late-spring.

The roots are fragile and resent disturbance so once planted in a spot, avoid digging around the root zone or moving the plants.

Balloon Flower: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Video and editing by Taylor Edwards

Audio and text by Kathy Jentz

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