Balloon flower Coloring Pages

A famous autumn flower! The long-loved Balloon flower

Do you know the names of the Seven Flowers of Autumn? They are seven beautiful plants that show us autumn has come. The Balloon flower is a famous and pretty flower that leads this special group! Long ago, a famous Japanese poem collection called the Man'yoshu talked about a flower named "Asagao." People think this was actually the Balloon flower. For thousands of years, people in Japan have loved this famous flower for its beauty!

The bud swells up like a balloon! The secret of the Balloon flower

The most fun and cute thing about the Balloon flower is how its flower bud looks before it opens!

• Before the petals open, the bud swells up round and puffy, just like it is filled with lots of air.

• Because it looks just like a tiny balloon, it got the cute and fun English name "Balloon flower."

• It has such a silly and cute shape that makes you want to gently poke it with your finger!

Beautiful petals shaped like stars

When the puffy bud pops open, a gorgeous flower appears that will make you smile!

• The tips of the Balloon flower petals split neatly into five points. It looks just like a shiny star in the night sky!

• The five petals are not separate. They stay joined together at the bottom. This type of flower is called a "joined-petal flower."

Where does it grow? Wild Balloon flowers are endangered

You can see the Balloon flower in gardens, parks, and flower shops. But wild Balloon flowers growing out in nature in Japan are actually very rare!

• This flower loves sunny mountains and bright fields where the grass is kept short.

• These days, there are fewer sunny grasslands. That means wild Balloon flowers are in danger of disappearing, so they are marked as an endangered species. The Balloon flowers you see near you are special types grown carefully by people!

When does it bloom? From summer to autumn

The Balloon flower is one of the Seven Flowers of Autumn, but it starts blooming long before autumn gets cold!

• Its main bloom time is from June, right before summer gets hot, to around October when the cool autumn breeze blows.

• Even under the hot summer sun, it blooms with cool purple flowers to make everyone happy. It is a very strong and reliable plant!

The root of the Balloon flower works as medicine!

The Balloon flower is not just pretty to look at. It also has a amazing power to help people feel better!

• Its thick root grows deep in the dirt. People have used this root as medicine for a very long time.

• It helps stop bad coughs and calms throat pain. Sometimes, throat drops you take when your throat hurts even have Balloon flower juice in them!

Samurai loved it too! Used on family crests

If you love Japanese history, you might have seen this flower design before!

• The neat star shape of the Balloon flower was a super popular symbol for famous samurai generals long ago.

• Famous leaders like Akechi Mitsuhide and the castle-building master Kato Kiyomasa put this Balloon flower crest on their flags and armor to show off their pride in battle!

Lots of flower colors! Not just purple

The Balloon flower is famous for its pretty purple color. But there are also other colorful types that make gardens look bright and fun!

• The most famous kind is the rich purple (blue-purple).

• The clean and bright white kind looks like a snowflake.

• The soft and cute pink kind.

• There are also rare types called "double blooms" that have two layers of petals and look fancy like roses!

A cool trick inside the flower! Changing male and female parts

If you look inside a Balloon flower, you can find a smart trick that helps the plant make new seeds safely!

• When the flower first opens, the male parts (stamens) give out lots of pollen. But the female part (pistil) in the middle is still closed tight.

• After the stamens finish giving pollen and fade away, the tip of the pistil opens up into five star points. Then it is ready to catch pollen from other Balloon flowers!

• By changing their timing, the flower makes sure it does not make seeds with its own pollen. What a smart trick!

Balloon flower meanings and lovely messages

The Balloon flower has special meanings that match its neat and cool look.

• Endless Love: Loving someone special for a very long time with a warm heart.

• Honesty: Being truthful, trying your best, and having a kind heart.

• Elegance: Looking beautiful, neat, and cool to everyone.

• These wonderful messages make it the best flower to give to your friends, or your mom and dad!

How to Choose Colors: Traditional "Kikyo-iro" and Colorful Choices

Here is the best secret to picking colors so your flowers look real and bright!

• Traditional Kikyo Color: The purple of the Balloon flower is a noble color with a bit of blue. First, color the whole thing gently with "bright purple" or "blue-purple." Toward the center of the flower and deep inside the petals, layer a little bit of "dark blue" or "navy blue." You will make a deep, elegant purple just like a silk dress!

• Pure White Balloon flower: The big secret to coloring a white Balloon flower is leaving lots of white paper! Gently add very light "light gray" or "soft light blue" only on the shadow parts. This makes the white petals pop and look super clean.

• Center of the Flower: Color the middle parts gently with "light yellow" or "cream." Inside the white or purple petals, the bright yellow center will shine and look full of life!

How to Color Balloon-Like Buds so They Look 3D

Here is a pro trick to make the round, cute, balloon-like buds look puffy and real.

• Think About the Sunlight: Leave the round top part of the bud white, or use a very light color. This shows where the light hits!

• Add Shadows in the Lines: Use a sharp colored pencil to add thin, light layers of a darker purple or dark brown along the vertical lines and near the bottom stem.

• Super Puffy Look: The bright spots and shadows make the bud look nice and round. It will look ready to pop open!

Make Star Petals Beautiful! Shading Tricks

Here is how to use shading to make pointed star petals look super fancy.

• Color Along the Lines: Balloon flower petals have thin lines running from the center to the outside. Move your colored pencil softly along these lines as you color.

• Shade from Center to Outside: Color the deepest part in the middle with your darkest blue-purple. Then, make the color lighter and brighter toward the tips of the petals. This adds depth, making the Balloon flower look real and shiny like it has tiny raindrops on it!

How to Color Straight Stems and Zigzag Leaves

Here are tips to color the straight, neat green parts that hold up the Balloon flower.

• Straight Stem Lines: The Balloon flower stem is thin and neat. Color it slowly and carefully in a straight line using "bright yellow-green."

• Zigzag Leaves: The edges of the leaves have many tiny zigzags. Before you color the whole leaf green, trace the zigzag edges clearly with sharp "dark green" or "emerald green." Then, color the inside with a lighter green. This makes the sharp leaf shape stand out!

Express Yourself! Draw a Background to Make an Autumn Field

There are no wrong answers in coloring! The most important thing is to have fun with your own ideas.

• Express Yourself! You do not have to use real colors. Making a shining gold Balloon flower or a rainbow Balloon flower is awesome art! Use your favorite colored pencils or crayons with full power!

• Add a Background! Draw soft lines for a light breeze in light blue in the blank space. Draw a red dragonfly in the sky or a yellow moon at night! You can also draw silver grass. Use your great imagination to finish your one-and-only autumn coloring page!

Buds puff up into "flower balloons"!

If you look closely at a Balloon flower bud, it has a strange round, puffy shape. Right before it opens, the petals stay joined while air builds up inside, making it swell up big just like a balloon. Because of this cute look, it has the wonderful name "Balloon flower" in English!

The mystery of the "Seven Autumn Herbs"

Balloon flowers bloom bright and healthy during the summer from June. But they have actually been loved as one of the "Seven Autumn Herbs" since long ago. On the old Japanese calendar, autumn started when Balloon flowers began to bloom. That is why people still love it today as a lovely flower that shows autumn is here.

Loved by the warlord Mitsuhide Akechi

The Balloon flower has been very popular in Japanese history because it is so beautiful. Mitsuhide Akechi, a famous samurai warlord, used a Balloon flower design as his family crest. The sparkling blue-purple Balloon flower was a cool flower that samurai looked up to.

Kind roots that soothe your throat

Balloon flowers are not just pretty to look at. Since long ago, they have been used to make traditional medicine. Dried thick roots from under the dirt help soothe sore throats and coughs. Even today, they are used in many throat drops and cold medicines!