Platycodon grandiflorum
Family: Campanulaceae
Herbaceous perennial. Native to China and Japan. The unopened flower
is like a purple hot-air balloon. These are the prettiest flowers in the
garden, blooming concurrently with Pleurisy root and contrasting strikingly.
The bittersweet, ginseng-like root contains saponins and platycodigenin,
an efficient expectorant which thins and eliminates phlegm. Cultivation:
Extra care. Chill seed in refrigerator in damp medium for 2 weeks
or so before sowing in warm place. Germinates in 3 to 10 days.
Plant in well-drained soil, 1 foot apart. Flowers to 30 to 40 inches
tall.
Return
to Herb Seed Index