Balloon-flower is a pretty ornamental from Asia.
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balloon-flower, Platycodon grandiflorus
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Balloon-flower is sufficiently unique that there is only one plant in the genus
Platycodon, the balloon-flower,
Platycodon grandiflorus. It is in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae.
The common name is based on the buds, which swell like balloons before opening. It is also called Chinese bellflower, relating it to other members of its plant family. Or people also just call it platycodon.
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| balloon-flower buds |
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| balloon-flower buds |
The name Platycodon is based on the Greek platus, "flat" and kodon "bell." The species epithet grandiflorus is a compound of grandis "big: or "showy" plus florus "flower," in Latin.
They have been cultivated in Asia for millennia and reached Europe and North America at least 300 years ago. Mostly they remain garden plants in North America and are not weedy, although New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina report naturalized populations.
Originally, balloon-flower flowers were blue. Today there are cultivated varieties with flowers from purple to pink to white and fancy flowers with a blue star pattern on white or other flower variants. Most plants, including the wild ones, grow three feet tall or more, but nurseries sell dwarf forms that only get a foot high. All are the same species, balloon-flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, so reading the small print is necessary to buy the color and height you want.
And that's about all Americans do, grow them in the garden. They are hardy and make nice cut flowers.
In Asia, this is a vegetable. The enlarged root is harvested, peeled, split, salted, and repeatedly rinsed to remove the bitter taste. Then it can be used fresh but is more often available dried. In Korea it is called doraji and served salted, pickled, sauted and more.
Korea has a widely-known folk song, Doraji tareong, a song of gathering wild balloon-flowers.
In Japan, it is one of the Seven Autumn Flowers, a group beloved since at least the Nara Period (710-794) when the poet Yamanoue no Okura (660- c. 733) (
link) included balloon-flowers,
kikyō, among seven flowers that were still in bloom, still producing delight, late in the year. That set balloon-flowers up to be noticed and appreciated thereafter. The blue shade of the flowers particularly drew people and
kikyō-iro (balloon-flower color) is one of Japan's traditional colors. The five-pointed star that the open flowers make was adopted in samurai family crests (Toki clan
link, Ōta clan
link).
It has also been used as a medicine. Modern research suggests it is contains anti-cancer saponins, and is anti-inflamatory, anti-allergy, with compounds that may in addition improve insulin resistance and lower cholesterol. So far, most of the uses have not been bolstered by large studies of patients treated with balloon-flower. Traditional Chinese medicine calls it jie geng and uses it for congenstion, coughs and sore throats, throat abscesses, lung infections and more. In traditional Japanese medicine, kikyō treats coughs and other respiratory problems. Koreans take it for asthma, bronchitis and tuberculosis, among other ailments. Despite the lack of large studies, the information available suggests this is a useful medicine and thus a healthy food.
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| balloon-flower, Platycodon grandiflorus |
How can you not love a flower that people sing about in a folksong? And that families choose for their symbol? And that makes little balloons?
Comments and corrections welcome.
Note: the correct scientific name is Platycodon grandiflorus but you will see grandiflorum in a number of places.
References
Gan, P., X. Li, J Ding, B. Peng, M. Munir, F. Liu, L. Chao, C. Li, L. Wang, J. Ma, and G. Zaing. 2025. Antiviral and immune enhancement effect of Platycodon grandiflorus in viral diseases: Apotential broad-spectrum antiviral drug. Molecules. 30(4):831. doi: 10.3390/molecules30040831 link
Ji, M-Y., A. Bo, M. Yang, J-F. Xu, L.-L. Jiang, B-C. Zhou and M-H Lui. 2020. The pharmacological effects and health benefits of Platycodon grandiflorus—A medicine food homology species. Foods. Jan 31;9(2):142. doi: 10.3390/foods9020142 link
Levy-Yamamori, R. and G. Taaffe. 2004. Garden Plants of Japan. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.
Liu, W., S. Jia, X. Ma, D. Lu, Y. Du, Z. Zhou, L. Yuan, R. Yu, and Y. Nan. 2025. Platycodon grandiflorum, as a medicinal and food homologous plant: a comprehensive review of anti-tumor components, mechanisms, modern applications, and preventive healthcare. Front. Nutr. Volume 12 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1674705 link
Reid, D. 1995. A Handbook of Chinese Healing Herbs. Shambala. Boston, Massachusetts.
Stearn, W. T. 1992. Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners. Cassell Publishers, Ltd., London.
Valder, P. 1999. The Garden Plants of China. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.
Listen to Doraji tareong: traditional musical arrangement link (the flowers shown are crocuses); updated musical arrangement link and there are many more versions online.
More about Doraji tareong on Wikipedia link
I gathered posts from this blog into books for those who don't read the internet or prefer books, for example:
Kathy Keeler.
Curious Stories of Familiar Plants from Around the World available from Amazon
link and from me
Kathy Keeler
Curious Stories of Familiar Garden Plants available from Amazon
link and from me
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