Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC., commonly known as balloon flower or bellflower, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Campanulaceae family. It is widely distributed in northeastern, northern, eastern, and central provinces of China, as well as in Guangdong, northern Guangxi, Guizhou, southeastern Yunnan (Mengzi, Yanshan, Wenshan), Sichuan (Pingwu, eastern Liangshan), and Shaanxi. Internationally, it is found in North Korea, Japan, Russia’s Far East, and southern East Siberia. The root of Platycodon is used in traditional Chinese medicine for its cough-suppressing, lung-tonifying, and pus-draining properties. It is harvested in spring and autumn, cleaned, fibrous roots removed, and either peeled fresh or left unpeeled before drying.