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Chinese Bellflower Wikimedia Commons
Campanulaceae

Chinese Bellflower

Platycodon grandiflorus

Unchanging love.

Family
Campanulaceae
Genus
Platycodon
Native to
China, Korea, Japan, Eastern Russia
Bloom season
Summer
Type
perennial
Height
1-2.5 ft
Sunlight
full sun to part shade
Soil
well-drained, loamy
Water
moderate
Hardiness
3-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • The balloon-like buds inflate before opening, earning the plant its other common name, balloon flower.
  • The root, called doraji in Korean, is a popular ingredient in Korean cuisine and traditional medicine.
  • It is the only species in the genus Platycodon, making it botanically unique.
  • In Japanese flower arranging (ikebana), the balloon flower is one of the seven flowers of autumn.
  • The five-pointed star shape of the open flower has been used as a family crest symbol (mon) in Japanese heraldry.

Color meanings

0

honesty

1

obedience

2

unchanging love

Uses

  • ornamental garden
  • traditional Korean cuisine
  • herbal medicine