Platycodon
( plat - ik - KOH - don )
At-A-Glance Information
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Commonly called Balloon Flower, this genus of flowering perennials needs light shade in warm climates and regular water. It is native to Siberia, Japan and China, and is grown for its flowers, which make beautiful additions to cut arrangements. These plants reach about 2.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide, and have balloon-like flower buds that open in summertime to reveal star-shaped flowers, usually in violet-blue. This plant will die back to the ground in fall, and the plant will not return until late spring. Varieties include 'Komachi' (with flowers that do not open from their balloon shape), and 'Mariesii' (with deep violet blue blossoms on a 1.5-foot tall plant). There is only one species in the genus, Platycodon grandiflorus. Balloon Flower grows best in zones 1-10 and 14-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Caring for Platycodon
Plant your Balloon Flower in a space in the garden that receives full sun to partial shade. Ideally, they should be getting at least 6 hours of sun each day, but do appreciate some late afternoon shade when temperatures are at their peak. They prefer to be grown in organically rich soil that drains well and has a pH of between 5.5 and 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Young plants should be watered regularly as they establish a strong root system. Once established, they are tolerant of short periods of drought, but appreciate consistent moisture to perform well. They can get by on rainwater alone for most of the year, but will need supplemental waterings during the warmest months. Mulch around the base of plants to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and increase soil moisture retention.
Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders (as long as soil is relatively rich in nutrients), and this feeding should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. These plants don't typically need much in the way of pruning; simply remove spent blooms to encourage more to emerge and to discourage reseeding. The flowering season can be extended by as much as two months' time if deadheading is done frequently. Plants will die back to the ground once the first frost of the year comes around, and can be completely cut back at the end of the growing season. It can be helpful to mark the ground where these plants grow, so that their roots will not be disturbed over a long dormant period, which usually extends from fall through late springtime.
Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders (as long as soil is relatively rich in nutrients), and this feeding should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. These plants don't typically need much in the way of pruning; simply remove spent blooms to encourage more to emerge and to discourage reseeding. The flowering season can be extended by as much as two months' time if deadheading is done frequently. Plants will die back to the ground once the first frost of the year comes around, and can be completely cut back at the end of the growing season. It can be helpful to mark the ground where these plants grow, so that their roots will not be disturbed over a long dormant period, which usually extends from fall through late springtime.
Propagation
Platycodon, or Balloon Flower, can be propagated by cutting or seed. They can also technically be propagated via division of existing plants, though due to their long taproots, they typically do not react well to this method. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are propagating a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Balloon Flower, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Platycodon by Seed
Propagating Platycodon by Cutting
Propagating Platycodon by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-3 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Propagating Platycodon by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new plant.
Platycodon flowers fade to make way for the seed heads, which will dry out and turn brown when seeds are mature.
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Platycodon seeds are dark brown to black, and look a bit like tiny raisins.
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Problems and Pests
Platycodon, or Balloon Flower plants can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape:
- Aphids
- Spider Mites
- Slugs and Snails
- Scale Insects
- Mealybugs
- Powdery Midew
- Crown and Root Rot
- Gray Mold
- Gophers
Gallery
Balloon Flower makes a great addition to mixed container plantings.
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These flowers are great at filling in bare spaces at the front of borders and beds.
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Here, Balloon Flowers are planted alongside Yarrow.
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Two varieties of Balloon Flower are planted in this bed.
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There are many different cultivars of Physostegia to choose from.
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Here, Balloon Flower is used in a pollinator bed to attract bees.
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Platycodon grandiflorus 'Mixed Doubles' series produces multicolored double blooms.
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This informal garden bed features blue-foliaged evergreens as a backdrop for Platycodon, Coneflower, and Actaea.
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Balloon Flowers get their common name from the shape of their unopened blooms.
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Videos
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All about Balloon Flowers, straight from the Mountain Gardener.
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Learn how to grow these beautiful flowers from seed.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 514, Platycodon grandiflorus
