TheNaturePlanet

In the colorful world of flowers, there are quite a few flowers that look similar in shape, especially those that resemble bells after blooming, which always make it difficult to distinguish at a glance. Among them, balloon flower, Canterbury bells, and lily of the valley are the ones that often cause confusion at first sight. How to distinguish them when choosing flowers in the flower market on ordinary days? Let's learn about it below.
Generally speaking, the balloon flower, also known as platycodon grandiflorum and hexangular lotus, has a flowering period mostly concentrated from July to September each year. It belongs to the Platycodon genus and Campanulaceae family. In terms of appearance, the plant height varies from 20 to 120 centimeters. The leaves are ovate or ovate-lanceolate, with more leaves. Most of the common leaves are opposite leaves, and there are also a few that are whorled with three leaves. The flower colors are rich and colorful, including purple, blue, white, yellow, pink, etc. The flowers usually grow in clusters on the top of the branches, drooping, and the corolla has a rather peculiar bell shape.
Also, Canterbury bells belong to the Campanula genus and Campanulaceae family. It is native to Europe and is cultivated in the north of China. It has the earliest flowering period among the three bell-shaped flowers, mostly from April to June, that is, at the transition between spring and summer. In terms of appearance, its grass plant is strong and upright. The leaf shape is often ovate or obovate. After blooming, generally, 1-2 flowers naturally gather to form a raceme. The flower colors include white, blue, blue-purple, etc. Because of its outstanding appearance, it is usually seen in flower malls and artistic flower arrangements. Moreover, in China, platycodon grandiflorum also has the nickname of balloon flower, but it is a flower of two different families and genera from the balloon flower mentioned above, and the flower shape and plant shape are completely different. So don't get them confused.
Finally, lily of the valley belongs to the Convallaria genus and Liliaceae family. It is native to eastern North America and is distributed in woodlands. The flowering period is from April to May and it will bear fruits. The fruiting period is between June and July. In terms of appearance, the plant height varies from 20 to 30 centimeters. When growing, the plants grow upright. After blooming, they have small milky-white bell-shaped flowers. The overall appearance is very petite and endearing, and at the same time, it emits a pleasant fragrance.
To sum up, when distinguishing between balloon flower, Canterbury bells, and lily of the valley, initially, you can judge from the height of the plant's appearance or make the most direct distinction based on their different flowering times.