I like them. Buy them as plants as they are very slow from seeds. Al

my experience with them in MI .. was that they were rather short lived ..

dont know where you are

ken

I've been growing 'Sentimental Blue' for many years. Here are some pics:

{{gwi:247048}}

{{gwi:247050}}

The plant is tap rooted so once established, it's no fuss. Taller varieties may need staking.

Mine grow fine in part shade, but they need at least a half day of sun. They are late to emerge in Spring so be careful about digging near them. They also do not like wet feet so be sure the soil is nicely drained.

The more sun they can get, the better. With too much shade they tend to get leggy and floppy. In sun they're a great perennial--bloom a long time and are hardly bothered by any pests (except rabbits seem to like them!)

I grew mine from seed (I don't remember them being particularly slow, though?) and they are in part sun. They can probably stand a tad more sun because a few of them do flop a bit, but I guess there's enough sun in my spot to make it doable (for me) - probably about 4 hours of sun.

I love them! I let mine go to seed and have gotten some volunteers.

Dee

They're best in full sun. Taller forms may need to be staked, or can be trimmed back early in the season for more compact plants (ditto on their being late risers). The stumpy "Sentimental Blue" has largely taken over the commercial market, but taller varieties are more graceful and appealing in my book.

I think I may be the only person on the planet who does not like these. I find nothing appealing about the flower shape, colors - nothing. Let the hate comments begin.

Kevin

I love "Sentimental Blue" - a truly short plant that stays short yet has very large flowers in proportion to the plant and oh the color! The foliage stays nice and nothing bothers them (insects or diseases) that I've ever noticed. Great edging plant. I also have the taller cultivars - I think they are "Astra" series bout not sure. Like those as well, but they do need some sort of support or will flop.

These puppies are long-lived as far as I can tell and TOUGH plants, I've had the same clumps the entire time I've been at this house, 13 years. "They" say you shouldn't move them because of the tap root...pfffttt - I've moved mine around the yard so many times I can't even count and like I said, they're still going...

I too prefer the tall ones--graceful and long blooming and easy to deadhead--in fact the ONLY plant in my very large gardens that I do bother to deadhead. They are gorgeous with orange Pardancandas.

My 'Sentimental Blue' isn't all that short most years. Last year it was a good two feet high.

a2zmom, likely the grower mislabeled yours. It happens quite a bit. I've heard of 'Sentimental Blue' being 12" high, but two feet sounds like it is a different cultivar such as 'Mariesii.'

Well, we have major rabbit issues! Maybe this wouldn't be the best plant!!! I'm curious to try a few though and see. . . .
I am in Michigan

Many years ago, I grew Sentimental Blue from seed. It sounded 'different' since at that time most of the balloonflowers for sale were about 4 ft tall. It has since seeded around a fair amount, and every now and then one of the seedlings gets close to normal height.

"Sentimental Blue", like I mentioned, *is* a true dwarf. None of mine have ever gotten near 1 foot tall; they are only ~6" tall, if that. If it's taller and labeled as S.B., they were definitely mislabeled/mispackaged :0/

mxk3, I have three of them and each is a different height! One is quite short, the middle one s ranges between a foot and eighteen inches and the third one gets pretty tall. I normally chalk it up to plants being unpredictable, but who knows? It could have been mislabeled.

pickindaisies, bunnies have never eaten mine and I certainly have a lot of them. Maybe mine are too busy eating my Centurea montana to bother with my balloon flowers.

I found the linked study informative. Their 'Sentimental Blue' got 12 inches tall. Mine are about 10 inches but they tend to lay down a bit, making them appear shorter. Their 'Mariesii' cultivar was disqualified because it was mislabeled. Seems to be a common theme with these.

Here is a link that might be useful: Platycodon Cultivar Comparison

I planted both Sentimental Blue (short) & (tall) Shell Pink 11 years ago ~ I have them every where now as they do seed (if not dead headed).

SB seem to behave differently in the different sites I eventually planted them from seeds. I have one that is enormous (2ft) both in hgt & clump & others stay as low as 8" others even showed up pink balloons along w/ the blues!

Shell Pink, I call Vanessa in honor of an Angel, stayed true to her tall, elegant lady that she is! Has also sprouted seedlings I have shared & planted in other beds.

I'm retired & have the time to dead head, nearly daily (whew) even thru this past wks of ~heat~wave~ they look better w/o the wilted spent blooms!

FWIW!