How to Grow Balloon Flower Seedlings – Start seeds indoors in early spring, six to eight weeks before the last frost date predicted for your region, using seed starter mix or regular potting soil. Cover the seeds with a scant 1/16 inch of soil. The container should be placed in a warm location until the seeds germinate.
Are balloon flowers seed-spreading?
The invasive balloon flower is dominating the garden. Today, I tweeted that it was a good time to pull weeds because it had rained heavily in recent days, reducing the heat and humidity and aerating the soil. The time had come for me to remove the invasive plant balloon flower from my garden ( Platycodon grandiflorus ).
- Balloon flowers?” you inquire.
- However, it has such beautiful blue flowers, and the children enjoy popping those inflated buds.” Yes, my children enjoyed popping the buds on my original plants as they walked to the front door, and yes, they produce beautiful blue flowers on tall stems throughout the summer.
However, after ten years, the children no longer see them (because their heads are constantly bent to view their iPhones), and the original four have multiplied into hundreds, crowding out my other Virginia perennials. Original four plants have multiplied on the left side of the walkway, and their seed pods are brown (directly across walkway is one balloon flower from front garden bed) Part of the problem is that balloon flowers rapidly self-seed.
It is possible to prune the plants to prevent self-seeding, but it is a tedious and time-consuming task. Each individual seed pod must be removed in order to preserve the remaining buds or open flowers. It is not possible to trim the plants by one foot. And part of the problem is that they are resistant to deer, drought, and most pests, but the worst part is that they have long, extensive tap roots.
Breaking off the stem only stimulates the growth of additional stems from the root. Even though it is easier to pull and dig after it has rained, I spent hours pulling and digging to remove as much of the roots as possible. I suspect that I did not dig deeply enough, as there are likely fragments in the soil that will reappear like the phoenix.
The seeds landed on the front strip across the walkway, which was covered in blue flowers. According to their description, the doraji root is used in Korean cuisine, which I discovered after discovering that the catalog sells them. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory to treat colds and is a low-cost alternative to ginseng.
It is possible to dry and package the root for sale in Asian markets. Even if you enjoy popping balloons, you should not plant this invasive perennial in your garden unless you intend to use it for medicinal or culinary purposes. pulling to disclose taproot: The invasive balloon flower is dominating the garden.
Gomphocarpus, Balloon Plant physocarpus The balloon plant is called Gomphocarpus physocarpus. Gomphocarpus (= Asclepias) physocarpus is a plant in the milkweed family (in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the Apocynaceae, formerly Asclepiadaceae) that is frequently used as an ornamental due to its striking yellowish, sphere-shaped fruits.
The name physocarpa is derived from the Greek words for bladder and fruit, physa and karpos, and refers to the inflated, bladder-like fruits. Numerous common names include balloon plant, balloon cotton-bush, balloon milkweed, bishop’s balls, elephant balls, hairy balls, monkey balls, and swan plant. This fast-growing, short-lived species from tropical Africa is grown as an annual in the Midwest, despite being a tender perennial (zones 8-10).
It has naturalized in many parts of the globe and is a weed in many mild-climate regions.G. fruticosus is a very similar plant that is less common in the ornamental trade. It has a smaller stature, less vigor, and a slightly oblong seed pod (supposedly resembling a swan).
For both species, however, the common names “swan” and “balloon” are used interchangeably. The leaves are lanceolate and narrow. From its fibrous roots, balloon plant is a herbaceous plant or soft shrub that can reach heights of over 6 feet. The single-stemmed, slender trunk has numerous hollow, pale yellowish green branches.
The opposite, smooth-textured, light-green leaves are 3 to 4 inches long. They are oblong to lanceolate in shape. All plant parts exude a milky white latex that is mildly toxic if consumed. In summer, leaf axils bear pendulous clusters of small, waxy flowers with a faint vanilla fragrance.
- Each flower is about half an inch in diameter and has five petals that are strongly reflexed and arch over a corona composed of lobes that develop from the petals.
- The petals range in color from white to cream, while the corona is pink or purple.
- The corona encircles a staminal column enclosing two carpels, the tips of which are united and enlarged to form the style head – a yellowish, 5-lobed disc in the flower’s center (a cyme).
The pollen is held in two waxy pollinia and the anthers are fused to the style head (pollen sacs). Self-incompatible, this plant requires pollen from a different plant in order to produce seed. The flowers are visited by numerous insect species, but only vespid wasps and hornets pollinate them.
When a wasp visits a flower, its legs or mouthparts become trapped, allowing the pollinia to attach to the insect. When the wasp visits another flower, its legs or mouthparts become trapped once more, allowing the pollinia to detach and pollinate the new flower. The peculiar waxy flowers emerge from tight buds (L) and may be entirely white (R) or tinged pink or purple (C).
The pods are covered with long spines that resemble hair. Flowers are succeeded by bizarre fruits that resemble hairy, inflated spheres. The bladder-like follicles, which are pale green, soft, almost translucent, and covered with soft hair-like spines, grow to a maximum diameter of 3 inches.
When mature, the follicles turn yellowish, frequently tinged with red or brown, and gradually split open to release the numerous brown seeds. Each smooth, oval, flattened seed has a tuft of long, silky hairs (a pappus) on one end that aids in wind dispersal. Cut long stems with pods for use in floral arrangements, both fresh and dried.
The softly spiny pods (L) become inflated (C) and eventually release the seeds, each with a hairy pappus (R) (R). The exotic fruits add texture and visual appeal to the garden. Cut pod-bearing stems to use in floral arrangements. Balloon plant is an unusual addition to a mixed bed, the back of an annual border, large containers, or as a specimen plant.
The unusual spherical fruits add visual appeal and texture, while the flowers, which are not particularly showy, attract butterflies. As an annual, the plant tends to have a vase shape, but it can grow quite large, so position it appropriately. Grow it specifically in the cutting garden for use in floral arrangements.
Gomphocarpus prefers full sun and well-drained, sandy soil with a moderate amount of moisture. If grown in partial shade, plants may develop slowly and bloom too late during our brief growing season to produce distinctive fruits. Caterpillars of the monarch butterfly may feed on the foliage, and aphids may occasionally infest the plant, but deer do not favor this plant.
- Place balloon plant in the rear of shorter annuals.
- Although it is a perennial and could be overwintered indoors in bright light, this plant grows best if it is replaced annually as it tends to become overgrown and scraggly after the first year.
- Collect seed from ripe pods immediately prior to their opening.
From seed, balloon plant is easily propagated. As the fruits begin to split open, it is simple to collect the mature seeds. If frost threatens before the seeds mature (120-130 days are required), branches with large pods can be cut and submerged in water to allow the seeds additional time to mature. 
Are balloon flowers an invasive species?
Sometimes invasive, balloon flowers are prolific self-sowers. To limit the possibility of overgrowth, remove all stems after blooming has ceased from the bulbs throughout the season. Giving an active self-seeder space to grow and reseed is another option.
The faster germination occurs, the warmer the environment. The optimal average temperature for plant growth is between 18 and 24 °C (64 and 75 °F). Typically, it takes one to two weeks for seeds to germinate.
Are balloon flowers an invasive species?
Sometimes invasive, balloon flowers are prolific self-sowers. To limit the possibility of overgrowth, remove all stems after blooming has ceased from the bulbs throughout the season. Giving an active self-seeder space to grow and reseed is another option.
