The Chinese Bellflower, also known as the balloon flower, is a perennial that resembles little blue inflated balloons before the flowers fully bloom. When it opens up, a pretty five point bell-shaped flower is revealed. Blue is the most common variety, but there are some blooms that are white and pink.
It is native to East Asian countries such as China, Korea and Japan and is cultivated for food and medicinal purposes. Nonetheless, they are easy to grow here in North America. The Platycodon Grandiflorus, the scientific name for this flower, grows well in moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. They are low maintenance and hardy. They don’t spread nor crowd their neighbors. Moreover, they are heavy bloomers and will bloom profusely throughout the summer, even when many other perennials are starting to fade later in the summer.
These striking blue flowers would look great used as a border in the garden and are excellent for cutting.
The plant is one of the herbs used to flavor Japanese sake. The root of this species is used in traditional Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory in the treatment of coughs and colds.