In general, all raw parts of the balloon flower plant are considered poisonous. Although the roots and the young leaves are used in China and Korea as medicine and in the kitchen, you don't necessarily have to try it.
All parts of the beautiful balloon flower are poisonous when raw
The roots are said to stimulate the immune system and even help against cancer, young leaves are cooked, the older ones are dried and used as a spice. Without medical knowledge, you prefer to limit yourself to using it as a garden or balcony plant.
The essentials in brief:
- raw, all parts of the plant are considered poisonous
- Roots are part of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
- Used in Asian cuisine
- dried leaves as a spice
- roots as vegetables
tips
It is better not to try whether the balloon flowers in your garden are edible. There are enough plants that you can eat without worrying, so you can confidently do without unpredictable experiments and simply enjoy the beautiful blooms of the hardy balloon flower.