Platycodon grandiflorus
Balloon Flower, Chinese Bell Flower
A botanical lesson first. Platycodon is a monotypic genus which means there is only one species in the genus. However it can come in various forms or cultivars including white and various shades of blue flowers and occasionally double flowers. There are a few cultivars that grow to different heights including dwarf ones.
It belongs to the Campanula family and gets its name from the flowers where Platys means broad and kodon means bell.
It gets its common name from the shape of the unopened flower buds that look like inflated balloons. When open the broadly bell shaped flowers measure up to 7.5cm across and have beautifully and prominently veined petals.
It is a native of all the islands of Japan and Korea, Northern China and Eastern Siberia growing on grassy slopes in hills and mountains. It is very hardy for all New Zealand conditions.
In the garden they are very hardy but resent wet feet. The large fleshy rootstock enables it to survive in dryer conditions. One advantage is that the rootstock increases in size slowly which means it does not need high levels of maintenance like some other perennials. In the garden it can produce seeds and a few will germinate to slowly increase plant numbers.
In summer after flowering cut the flower heads off to prevent seeding and encourage the rootstock to retain nutrients for spring growth. In winter cut the stems down to ground level when they die off.
Propagation can be by digging and dividing the rootstock.
Cultivars include
‘Snowflake’ a white semi double flower.
‘Mother of Pearl’ light pink
‘Apoyama’ deep blue
Other named forms are available
Other seedling forms have appeared from time to time through garden centres.
A botanical lesson first. Platycodon is a monotypic genus which means there is only one species in the genus. However it can come in various forms or cultivars including white and various shades of blue flowers and occasionally double flowers. There are a few cultivars that grow to different heights including dwarf ones.
It belongs to the Campanula family and gets its name from the flowers where Platys means broad and kodon means bell.
It gets its common name from the shape of the unopened flower buds that look like inflated balloons. When open the broadly bell shaped flowers measure up to 7.5cm across and have beautifully and prominently veined petals.
It is a native of all the islands of Japan and Korea, Northern China and Eastern Siberia growing on grassy slopes in hills and mountains. It is very hardy for all New Zealand conditions.
In the garden they are very hardy but resent wet feet. The large fleshy rootstock enables it to survive in dryer conditions. One advantage is that the rootstock increases in size slowly which means it does not need high levels of maintenance like some other perennials. In the garden it can produce seeds and a few will germinate to slowly increase plant numbers.
In summer after flowering cut the flower heads off to prevent seeding and encourage the rootstock to retain nutrients for spring growth. In winter cut the stems down to ground level when they die off.
Propagation can be by digging and dividing the rootstock.
Cultivars include
‘Snowflake’ a white semi double flower.
‘Mother of Pearl’ light pink
‘Apoyama’ deep blue
Other named forms are available
Other seedling forms have appeared from time to time through garden centres.