Balloon Flower
Platycodon grandiflorus
Family: Campanulaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Blue. Main Bloom Time: Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.
Platycodon grandiflorus is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.4 m (1ft 4in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.5
Where it is found
Grassy slopes in hills and mountains all over Japan.
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Manchuria.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Young leaves - cooked. The radical leaves are said to be slightly toxic so only the top leaves should be used. Old leaves are powdered and used as a flavouring. Root - cooked. Eaten in soups as a tonic vegetable. It is also peeled and pickled or preserved in sugar. A nutritional analysis is available.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Medicine
Rating: 3
This species has a history of herbal use in China going back over 2,000 years and modern clinical tests have demonstrated its efficacy. It is widely used there in patent remedies and is also made into cough tablets. The root contains saponins and is anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, antiphlogistic, antitussive, astringent, carminative, expectorant, haemolytic, hypoglycaemic, sedative, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge. It lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels in the liver and inhibits the release of histamine. It is used internally in the treatment of coughs with profuse phlegm, colds, bronchitis, pleurisy, pulmonary abscesses and throat infections. It is also used to treat hypertension and diabetes in Korea. The root of plants 2 - 3 years old are harvested in the spring or autumn, peeled and used fresh or dried.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Anticholesterolemic: Prevents the build up of cholesterol.
Antiphlogistic: Reduces inflammation.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Haemolytic: Breaks down red blood corpuscles to separate haemoglobin.
Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating:
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Rock garden, Specimen. An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any good well-drained garden soil but prefers a light more or less sandy soil in a sunny position or light dappled shade. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. Another report says it is hardy to -20°c. A very ornamental and long-lived plant, there are several named forms. It is cultivated, especially in China, as a medicinal plant. This species has brittle roots and strongly resents root disturbance. It should be planted out in its permanent position as soon as possible, and preferably when dormant in the winter. Special Features: Suitable for cut flowers. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 9 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Free and quick germination. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the winter when the plants are dormant. Basal cuttings of non-flowering shoots in spring, preferably with a piece of root attached. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The root is poisonous. The older, basal leaves are also said to be slightly toxic. If these reports are true then this is an exceptional species in a family that is generally free of toxins and often used for food.
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Campanula glauca. Thunb. C. grandiflora.