Platycodon grandiflorus
balloon flower
c ampanulaceae
Blue, pink, or white inflated flowers that
pop open with maturity; oval green leaves
2–3 ft. high; 2 ft. wide
Full sun
Blooms July–September
Zones 3–8
pruning Deadheading of balloon
flower can greatly prolong bloom and
keep the plants attractive. Each
individual dead flower needs to be
removed without damaging new buds,
which are produced all along the
flowering stem—sharp pruning
scissors work best for this task.
Removing the entire flowering stem
will remove future flowers. Snipping
off the old flowers and simply letting
them drop to the ground helps speed
up this tedious deadheading. Minimal
reseeding can occur, so you should
deadhead before seeds mature if
reseeding is not desired.
Balloon flower responds well to
pinching or cutting back before
flowering to control its flopping
nature. Cutting plants back by half in
late May to early June, or about 1
month before they flower, produces
nicely branched, well-shaped, shorter
plants with delayed flowering that will
not require staking. Plants that
normally mature at 2 1/2–3 1/2 ft. tall will
mature at 1 1/2–2 ft. tall with this
pruning regimen, and flowering can
be delayed by 2–3 weeks. Plants cut
back in mid- to late June may be
delayed by as much as 4 weeks. After
the foliage turns attractive colors in
the autumn it blackens with several
killing frosts. If you cut plants down at
this time, leave about 6 in. of the old
stems to mark the location of the
plants, since they are late to emerge in
the spring. The old stems can be
further pruned down once new growth
is visible in the spring.
other maintenance Plants are
slow to establish, but once they take
hold they are long-lived and low
maintenance. Provide high-organic,
well-draining soil and a location
where the plant won’t be disturbed by
cultivation around its roots. Can be
difficult to transplant, and balloon
flower doesn’t need to be divided for
20 years or more. If division is desired,
take plenty of soil, for deep roots, with
the clump in the spring. Spring
planting is required for best establish-
ment. Plants are late to emerge in the
spring, so be careful to not disturb the
area. Usually requires staking, unless
plants are pruned or shorter growing
cultivars are selected. It’s worth noting
that popping the balloons does not
damage the flowers—so enjoy!
related plantS Platycodon
grandiflorus ‘Mariesii’ is a shorter form
(1–2 ft.) that normally doesn’t require
staking. Platycodon grandiflorus