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Campanulaceae
Balloon Flower
Platycodon grandiflorus
Honesty, obedience, everlasting love.
- Family
- Campanulaceae
- Genus
- Platycodon
- Native to
- East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Russia)
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 30–75 cm (1–2.5 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–8
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- The flower buds look exactly like inflated paper balloons—they swell up with trapped air for several days, then suddenly pop open into five-pointed star-shaped flowers.
- Children in Korea and Japan traditionally squeeze the unopened buds gently until they 'pop' open with a tiny burst—a beloved garden party trick.
- Known as 'doraji' in Korean, the roots are a famous pickled vegetable in Korean banchan and a featured ingredient in the folk song 'Doraji Taryeong,' Korea's most famous flower song.
- Balloon flower is one of the longest-lived perennials in cultivation—a single plant can thrive in the same spot for 50 years without dividing.
- Despite being in the bellflower family, the balloon flower is the only species in its entire genus—Platycodon grandiflorus has no close relatives, making it a botanical orphan.
Color meanings
0
honesty
1
everlasting love
2
Korean heart