Balloon Flower, Chinese Bellflower, Japanese Bellflower 'Mariesii'

On May 6, 2014, coriaceous from ROSLINDALE, MA wrote:

'Mariesii' is shorter than the species (1-2' vs 2 1/2 - 3'). I suspect that a lot of what's sold as 'Mariesii' isn't true to name, because so many are a great deal taller. In any case, now there are cultivars/seed strains that are even shorter.

This tough and adaptable perennial has many virtues, producing lots of blue-violet flowers over a long season. My issue with it is that the flowers last only a day, and the deadheads so very conspicuously detract from the appearance of the plant as they turn a very light tan. Also, deadheading seems to be required for continued flowering. I no longer grow Platycodon grandiflorus because I find the deadheading is simply too much work.

On Jun 14, 2010, Steve_in_NC from Monroe, NC (Zone 8a) wrote:

This is yet another specimen (see also stoke's aster) that I once stuck in the ground years ago in a little-used section of my property. I rediscovered it after seven years of neglect, happily flowering. It survived drought and fought off the weeds. There may be about a dozen plants there now. I plan to divide them this winter and give them more space. This plant is a survivor! I warmly recommend it for your low-maintenance perennial garden.

On Aug 7, 2008, angihansen from Watkinsville, GA wrote:

A carefree plant that is very late to come up in the spring, so it's great to mix in with spring-flowering bulbs... these babies will just start to show their heads as the tulip foliage is fading. They're picky about root disturbance so it's best to leave them along once planted (unless you move them while dormant). My neighbor and I both have some of these, and they're pretty and heavy flowering. Intriguingly, the height for individual plants can vary dramatically--some are only 12-18" high, while other plants just a couple of feet away are 3 feet high. We haven't yet figured out what accounts for the difference...

On Mar 3, 2006, jmb_nc from Charlotte, NC wrote:

I love this plant. Last year it started blooming in late spring/early summer, and produced tons of flowers. Late in the summer (August), it seemed to be done, so I cut it back to the ground, and within a few weeks, it had started growing back, reaching approximately half the height of the original growth, and it had lots more flowers right into fall. I like how the flower looks like a balloon at first, and then "pops" into a lovely flower, closing to a balloon again at night. Very hardy in the hot NC summer.