A vigorous border plant with blue flowers followed by apple-shaped seed pods, suitable for dried flower arrangements.

The bell-shaped flowers are light blue to purple, white at the base, and 3–4 cm across. After flowering, from June to September, the plant, like the true lantern plant, forms a "lantern" of sepals containing a fruit: a brown berry 15 mm long. Individual flowers usually bloom for only one day, but the plant blooms continuously.

The leaves are large, up to 30 cm long, oval to oblong, and wavy-toothed. The seed pods are beautiful, but each berry contains hundreds of seeds that remain viable in the soil for up to 10 years. The plant can therefore spread very quickly.