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Mutant balloon flower| Member | Message |
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Posted: Jun/23/2007 6:36 AM PST
Why is one of my balloon flowers, which is not done growing yet, almost as tall as my 42" 5 year old daughter when all the information I find about them (including the tag that came with them) indicate that they grow to ~20-24"? I have others in a different bed that are the size they are supposed to be. |
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Posted: Jun/23/2007 9:12 AM PST
Got this info from www.laspilitas.com/plants/479.htm (Googled balloon flower first): "Balloon flower is a 2' perennial with a 3' flower spikes of 1-2" whitish-pink flowers, over white-grey flowers. Native to desert mountains. It is fairly easy with good drainage. It loves it in the desert and grows into this big showy plant that is covered with 3' spikes of large fuzzy flowers that bumblebees like to crawl into." So...the way I read this is the plant could be over 5' tall??? Uh, oh. Don't let short-legged dogs or small children play in this patch.  Better move it to the back of the bed, huh?
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Posted: Jun/23/2007 9:17 AM PST
That description doesn't sound like a balloon flower. I am not sure what you got there MB! Edited to add: I just looked at it I'll be damned but they are calling that a balloon flower! The ballon flower I am talking about is Platycodon. |
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Posted: Jun/23/2007 9:29 AM PST
Mo, do you have to deadhead it a lot and do you find the old flowers unattractive? I had a dwarf balloon flower that I moved in the fall to hide its leaves. I put it in the one spot in the garden where water pools during a heavy rain and read later they won't tolerate standing water. It didn't. I bought it for Rick since he loves them, and so do I, except for the foliage and dead flowers. I thought of replacing it with the standard balloon flower and placing it farther back in a bed, but I wouldn't be able to reach it to deadhead it. So I'm wondering if it is just the dwarf that has these unattractive attributes. |
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Posted: Jun/23/2007 9:30 AM PST
Platycodon, isn't it? |
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Posted: Jun/23/2007 11:22 AM PST
Yes I spelled it wrong. I deadhead everything. Right now I can get to it. The thing I don't like is when it gets tall I can't seem to keep it supported no matter what I do. The only thing I haven't tried are those grow through supports, which I will try next year. |
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Posted: Jun/23/2007 1:01 PM PST
Oh I am sure it is. My shorter ones are doubles, so maybe the big sucker is an older variety. |
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Posted: Jun/23/2007 1:55 PM PST
Quote: Originally posted by RonsGarden After mine bloom I snip them back to around 1 1/2ft to 2ft to just below where the first flower formed. Snipped this way makes them look almost like euonymus.The short varieties I deadhead just to prevent seed production! Loosen up Sweetlebee, you cannot have everything looking like you want them too! The foliage turns a nice golden color come fall! They are best planted so they get full, to partial sun. Full sun is best up here! I actually have foxglove, and they don't look much better with the hanging dead brown flowers! |
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Posted: Jul/01/2007 5:42 PM PST
i've got the older single blue balloon flower. it gets pretty tall! i have to tie it to my porch slats for support. if i keep it deadheaded it'll continue to bloom til frost. |
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Posted: Jul/01/2007 5:44 PM PST
Yeah, mine blooms forever once it gets started. It is all falling over now from the rain. I have nothing to tie it to. I still have to figure that out. |
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