Balloon Flower

Taprooted plant. Leafy flowering shoots 50-70 cm. Stem branched above. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, opposite or alternate, 3-4 cm x 2-3 cm, sharply dentate. Flowers large, 5-7 (8) cm diam., corolla broadly campanulate, blue, azure, rarely white, in cymose inflorescence. V - late spring to late autumn, in St. Petersburg May-October. Fl - July-August for 3-5 weeks. Fr - September. Frost-resistant in places without standing water. P - by seed, flowering 2 (3) years after sowing. There are many cultivars and garden forms differing in colour and flower size. Plant in groups in sunny sites, also does well in partial shade. Can be used in many landscape sites. Z 4 (3).

Siberia (southern and western regions, the Far East), northeastern China, Korea and Japan. Dry meadows, rocky places among shrubs or in forest clearings.