Balloon Flower Growing Guide

Gardening , Grow , Grow Guide Apr 10, 2018 No Comments

Balloon Flower

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Botanical name: Platycodon grandiflorus
Family Classification: Campanulaceae Family

Balloon-shaped flower buds pop open into beautiful blue, white, pink, or purple flowers in summer. Plants are slow to establish and emerge late in the spring, but are otherwise long-lived and low maintenance.

KEY POINTS
Sunlight
Full sun Part shade
Lifecycle
Perennial
Bloom time
Early summer Mid-summer Late summer
Height
2.5 to 3.5 feet
Special uses
Cut flowers

How To Plant you balloon flowers

Propagate by seed, division or separation. Balloon flower plants take a few years to become established and do not tolerate division well. When necessary, divide early in the spring when the plants are no more than 3 to 4 inches tall. Some variations bloom from seed the first year.

Maintenance and Care

Tall varieties may need to be staked. Divide only when the clump becomes overcrowded. This is truly a low maintenance plant that is long-lived and blooms reliably. Since it is one of the last perennials to emerge in the spring, mark its position and take care not to damage it before it emerges.

Varieties

There are many varieties here are some of the highlights:

Apoyama – a 10- to 15-inch-tall dwarf with upright habit and violet flowers.
Fuji – pink, white, blue blossoms on 2- to 3-foot plants. best for cut flowers.
Komachi – clear blue flowers and the bud swells to about 2 inches in diameter but never opens.
Sentimental blue – only 6 to 9 inches tall with blue flowers from seed the first year.

Site Characteristics

This beautiful flower prefers full sun in cool areas, however when summers are hot they will develop better in part shade.

Sunlight	Full sun Part shade

Soil conditions	Tolerates acid soil Requires well-drained soil Tolerates low fertility
Hardiness zones	4 to 9

Plant Traits

Generally these flowers will grow to 2.5 to 3.5 feet, however some dwarf varieties grow just 6 inches tall! The tall varieties tend to be upright and proud whilst the dwarf flowers are a bit more rounded.

Lifecycle	Perennial
Ease-of-care	Easy
Height	2.5 – 3.5 feet
Spread	0.5 – 1 feet
Bloom time	Early summer Mid-summer Late summer
Flower color	Blue Violet White Pink
Foliage color	Medium green
Foliage texture	Medium
Shape	Cushion, mound or clump Upright

Special Considerations

As per their name the buds of the balloon flower swell up like balloons and pop when squeezed.

Special characteristics	Deer resistant Non-aggressive Non-invasive Not native to North America Native to China and Japan

Special uses	Cut flowers
Shape in flower	Flower stalks Flowers as cups