It thrives in full sun but also adapts well to partial shade, especially in zones 7 and 8. The plant's common name makes perfect sense. The flower buds are hollow balloons, which gradually inflate and color up. One variety, 'Komachi', never pops open, which I find somewhat deflating. I'll take stars any day.
Varieties differ in flower color and plant size.
I use a circular tomato cage shortened so that it stands about 15 inches high when securely installed, but any staking method that provides knee-high loose support is fine. More compact varieties, less than 18 inches tall, form graceful mounds with little or no staking. Growing from Seeds or Cuttings Balloon flower will prosper whether you begin with seeds or plants. Seeds are easy to start, but because plants do not flower well until the second year, you may want to save time by buying container-grown plants. To start seeds, barely press them into moist seed starting mix, enclose the containers loosely in a plastic bag, and keep them at 60 o F and in moderate light.