Buy Platycodon grandiflorus 'Mariesii'

Long lived sweet perennial – 14" compact mound of light green leaves topped by loads of deep, true blue inflated balloons that open to five petaled stars – Sun and decent soil with summer water – Easy – Deadhead for maximum flower production – totally disappears in winter so mark location!

Balloon flower is for those of us that love the tall lavender blue campanulas of spring and just hate to see them go, this trouble free, long-lived stalwart of summer gardens brings the same tall wands of lavender blue, but in a richer violet blue more suited to the warmer and brighter colors of summer. The dusty blue buds swell into a balloon and then open into deep-throated stars, late in the day closing to be replaced by another the next day. Deadheading is a must, but not a chore, I, for one, can’t resist the satisfying “pop” as the faded flowers separate from the stem. The glossy dark green leaves turn a wonderful yellow in fall, adding another season of interest. If your plants get too tall and need corralling, try pinching the stems once in mid spring for more compact branching growth. As they are late to emerge in spring, they make great companions for spring bulbs and some spring blooming annuals like nemophila that have their early show and then fade.