Balloon Flowers

Balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus) are said to have come originally from China, Korea, Japan, and Russia. They prefer temps in the 60-80 F range, but can do OK in warmer weather if provided shade. I planted mine several years ago in a spot where nothing had done well. I tried balloon flowers because they were described as easy to grow and I am lazy. The spot is perhaps a bit shady for them, but it does protect them from hot afternoons. They spread slowly by self-sowing their seeds, but they are not aggressive. Despite my trend towards native perennials, I see no need to remove them.

I enjoy watching the pale green balloons turn to puffy pillows then to wide-open blue stars. For me, there is something comic as well as beautiful about its transformation.