Life Span
Annual and Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Shrub
  
Flowering Plants, Herbs, Perennial
  
Origin
Central America, South America
  
China, Eastern Asia, Japan
  
Types
Not Available
  
Platycodon grandiflorus Astra series, Platycodon grandiflorus Fuji series, Platycodon grandiflorus 'Komachi', Platycodon grandiflorus 'Sentimental Blue'
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
  
Grassland, Hillside
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
  
3-8
  
AHS Heat Zone
Not Available
  
8-3
  
Sunset Zone
Not Available
  
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
Habit
Thicket/Colonizing
  
Clump-Forming
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Pink
  
White, Blue, Pink
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Not Available
  
Fruit Color
Red
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
  
Green, Sea Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Gray Green
  
Green, Sea Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Gray Green
  
Green, Sea Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
  
Light Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Oval
  
Cushion
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
  
Summer, Fall
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Growth Rate
Medium
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
  
Loam, Sand
  
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
  
Acidic
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
  
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
  
Container, Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
  
Divison, Seedlings, Seperation
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
  
Average Water Needs
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Alkaline
  
Neutral
  
Soil Type
Dry, Sandy
  
Loam, Sand
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Pruning
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
  
Prune in spring, Prune in summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
  
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
  
Slugs, Snails
  
Plant Tolerance
Wind
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Yes
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
  
Matte
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
No
  
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
  
Birds
  
Allergy
Pollen
  
Asthma, Skin rash
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
  
Beautification, Showy Purposes
  
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, scurvy, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
  
anti-allergy, Antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Asthma, Bronchitis, chest congestion, Cold, Cough, Diabetes, improved insulin resistance, Sore throat, Tonsillitis, tuberculosis
  
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
  
Whole plant
  
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
  
Used As Food
  
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
  
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border
  
Botanical Name
Malpighia emarginata
  
PLATYCODON grandiflorus( Apoyama Group)
  
Common Name
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
  
Balloon Flower
  
In Hindi
Acerola Tree
  
Balloon flower
  
In German
Acerola Baum
  
Ballonblume
  
In French
Acerola Arbre
  
balloon Flower
  
In Spanish
Árbol de acerola
  
globo de planta de flor
  
In Greek
Acerola Δέντρο
  
μπαλόνι εργοστάσιο λουλούδι
  
In Portuguese
Árvore acerola
  
Balão flor planta
  
In Polish
Acerola Drzewo
  
Balon kwiat roślin
  
In Latin
Acerola ligno
  
balloon flos plant
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Not Available
  
Embryophyta
  
Class
Not Available
  
Dicotyledonae
  
Order
Malpighiales
  
Asterales
  
Family
Malpighiaceae
  
Campanulaceae
  
Genus
Malpighia
  
Platycodon
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Not Available, Paperveroideae
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Importance of Acerola and Balloon Flower
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Acerola and Balloon Flower. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Acerola and Balloon Flower as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Acerola is Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, scurvy, Urinary tract problems and Vitamin C whereas of Balloon Flower is anti-allergy, Antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Asthma, Bronchitis, chest congestion, Cold, Cough, Diabetes, improved insulin resistance, Sore throat, Tonsillitis and tuberculosis. Acerola has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin while Balloon Flower has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin.
Compare Facts of Acerola vs Balloon Flower
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Acerola vs Balloon Flower and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Acerola are Pollen whereas of Balloon Flower have Asthma and Skin rash respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Acerola has showy fruits and Balloon Flower has no showy fruits. Also Acerola is flowering and Balloon Flower is not flowering . You can compare Acerola and Balloon Flower facts and facts of other plants too.