Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) in the Platycodons Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Plant Height:	14 inches
Plant Spread:	minimal
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Blue White
Flower Time:	Late spring or early summer Summer Late summer or early fall
Underground structures:	Taproot
Uses:	Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Butterflies
Resistances:	Deer Resistant
Propagation: Seeds:	Provide light Depth to plant seed: press into soil, do not cover Sow in situ Start indoors Will not come true from seed Other info: Start 6 - 8 weeks if starting indoors.
Containers:	Suitable in 1 gallon

Common names

Balloon Flower
Japanese Bellflower
Chinese Bellflower

Botanical names

Accepted: Platycodon grandiflorus
Synonym: Campanula glauca
Synonym: Platycodon glaucus
Synonym: Campanula grandiflora

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by Mutisia

Uploaded by Mutisia

Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
Date: 2012-07-30
A speckled hybrid balloon flower

Uploaded by Gilli

Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2017-07-24

Uploaded by crawgarden

Location: Rose garden
Date: 2014-08-08
Attractive to bees

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by Hamwild

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Sandhills Horticultural Gardens Southern Pines, NC (Visitor center)
Date: September 14, 2022
Balloon flower #109 nn; LHB page 967, 192-6-1, "Greek 'broad bell

Uploaded by WebTucker

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Central Texas
Date: 2013-05-24
Right before opening, it looks a little like a balloon.

Uploaded by Rocks2Blooms

Location: San Diego, CA
Date: 2019-08-23
alba form absolutely glows in the sunlight!

Uploaded by olga_batalov

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Woodbridge , Va
Date: 2016-08-01

Uploaded by krobra

Uploaded by Hamwild

Location: Grand-Falls, N.B. Canada
Date: 2012-07-29
Popping its balloon to showcase the bloom

Uploaded by Ziggy

Uploaded by pirl

Location: Rose garden
Date: 2014-08-08
Growing and blooming through an andromeda.

Uploaded by pirl

Location: Switzerland, in my garden
Date: 2017-06-22

Uploaded by sunnyvalley

Location: Lucketts, Loudoun County, Virginia
Date: 2013-07-07

Uploaded by greenthumb99

Uploaded by Sheila_FW

Uploaded by DogsNDaylilies

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Uploaded by Mutisia

Uploaded by Mutisia

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2009-07-08

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Location: montana grandiflora garden
Date: 2006-0714
Combines very nicely with Russian Sage.

Uploaded by pirl

Location: montana grandiflora garden
Date: 2012-0416

Uploaded by pirl

Location: montana grandiflora garden
Date: 2012-0420
I accidentally cut through these roots while trying to move some

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Location: Rose garden
Date: 2014-08-08
Stretching out for more sunlight.

Uploaded by pirl

Location: Rose garden
Date: 2014-0808
Note the blurry bee on the right avoiding me and the camera.

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2016-03-31
These seedlings are over a week old.

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Uploaded by Sheila_FW

Location: Plano, TX
Flower is a little larger than a quarter. Whole plant is a couple

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Uploaded by paulaf

Uploaded by Hamwild

Uploaded by Hamwild

Uploaded by Hamwild

Location: Willow Spring, NC
Date: June 2, 2016
June Blooms

Uploaded by safety1910

Date: c. 1875
illustration by P. De Pannemaeker from 'Revue d'horticulture belg

Uploaded by scvirginia

Uploaded by Mutisia

Location: Aurora, On
Date: 2010-07-11
At Merlin's Hollow. At least 15 years old by the time this photog

Uploaded by SunnyBorders

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: central Illinois
Date: 10-1-12

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2014-07-06

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2006-07-14

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Central Texas
Date: 2013-05-23

Uploaded by Rocks2Blooms

Uploaded by Sheila_FW

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2006-08-31

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Kalama, Wa
Date: 2010-05-01
Coming up in the spring

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Mutisia

Uploaded by Mutisia

Uploaded by Mutisia

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by Mutisia

Uploaded by Mutisia

Location: my garden, NC Zone 7A
Date: June 30

Uploaded by sandnsea2

Uploaded by Hamwild

Location: Western Kentucky
Date: September 2010
Fall colors in the late sun

Uploaded by Sharon

Location: Western Kentucky
Date: August 2011
Balloon flower in bloom

Uploaded by Sharon

Location: Grand-Falls, N.B. Canada
Date: 2012-07-29
Balloon about ready to pop open

Uploaded by Ziggy

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2008-07-18

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: central Illinois
Date: June 2007

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: Willow Spring, NC
Date: June 2, 2016
Almost here.....

Uploaded by safety1910

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-06-30

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-05-15

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2013-10-04

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-10-08

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2017-01-19

Uploaded by jmorth

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on Apr 28, 2013 1:18 AM concerning plant:

Taken from wikipedia's page at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...

"Platycodon grandiflorus is a species of herbaceous flowering perennial plant of the family Campanulaceae, and the only member of its genus. It is native to East Asia (China, Korea, Japan and East Siberia). This species is known as platycodon or Chinese bellflower. Depending upon the region, it is also referred to as the Japanese bellflower, common balloon flower, or balloon flower (referring to the balloon-shaped flower buds).

Growing to 60 cm (24 in) tall by 30 cm (12 in) wide, it is an herbaceous perennial with dark green leaves and blue flowers in late summer. A notable feature of the plant is the flower bud which swells like a balloon before fully opening.[1] The five petals are fused together into a bell shape at the base, like its relatives, the campanulas. There are varieties with white, pink and purple blooms in cultivation.[2] In Korea, white flowers are more common. This plant[3] together with its cultivars 'Apoyama group'[4] and 'Mariesii'[5] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit."

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Plant Events from our members
piksihk	On June 10, 2016	Bloomed
piksihk	On May 29, 2015	Bloomed
piksihk	On April 1, 2015	Plant emerged
piksihk	On June 16, 2014	Bloomed
chelle	On November 2, 2014	Harvested Collected seed.
chelle	On October 20, 2014	Transplanted Moved from container to W screen room hugel bed for the winter. Front and center.
AndreA33	On July 28, 2016	Obtained plant
lovesblooms	On January 15, 2017	Seeds sown w/s; pink, white, blue mix
MrsBinWY	On February 13, 2021	Seeds sown 13 seeds - packet labeled "shell pink" - received in 2013 from valeriepa in milk jug @ room temp. These germinated back in 2013, but no luck in 2021
WebTucker	On September 14, 2022	Bloomed

» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
Platycodon grandiflorus, not Campanula carpatica 'White Clips' by growitall	Sep 4, 2014 12:42 PM	4

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Platycodons Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)

Platycodons

Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)