| Description | The charm of Heliotrope is the beautiful violet to purple flowers and a pleasing fragrance. A good plant to grow in pots or in the garden. Can also be over wintered in a cool, bright window. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (hee-li-oo-TROP-i-um)(ar-bo-RES-enz) |
| Plant Type | All Plants, Annuals |
| Hardiness Zone | subtropical shrub grown as an annual |
| Sunlight | full, tolerates some shade, flowering best in full |
| Moisture | Will tolerate normal moisture conditions, but during periods of draught some extra water should be provided. If allowed to get to dry the leaves will start to disfigure. |
| Soil & Site | Tolerates normal but prefers rich, well drained. |
| Flowers | The fragrant flowers are umbels coming in blue, violet, blue violet, purple, rose, red and white. The fragrance is less in the newer cultivars. |
| Leaves | dark green |
| Dimensions | 12-36 inches depending on the cultivar |
| Maintenance | Many times plants will need a pinch to help them branch out. |
| Propagation | Seeds are slow to produce plants so be patient. Allow at least 10-12 weeks. Can also be rooted from cuttings |
| Native Site | Heliotrope arborescence is native to Peru. |
| Misc Facts | Yhey became very popular during the Victoria era. They bedded out the plants and over wintered them in their conservatories. Helios is Greek for the sun, trope means to turn, arborescence means tree like, referring to its shrubby form. |
| Notes & Reference | #28-Cottage Garden Annuals(Clive Lane), #37-The Contained Garden (Kenneth A. Beckett, David Carr, David ) |
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