Adored by florists and gardeners everywhere, lilies are delightfully flamboyant with gorgeous flowers and heady perfume.Renowned for their big, bold blooms i
23.06.2023 - 00:47 / gardenerspath.com / Nan Schiller
Growing Heliotropes: Fragrant Vintage Charmers Heliotropium arborescensThe garden heliotrope, Heliotropium arborescens, is a tender shrubby perennial, or sub-shrub, of the borage family, with clusters of sweetly-scented blossoms in shades of purple, blue, or white.
With a backdrop of dark green pleated leaves, plants bear a resemblance to hydrangea or viburnum, and generally reach a mature height of between one and three feet tall.
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In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know to cultivate this cottage garden classic.
Here’s what’s in store:
Cultivation and HistoryThe Greek word “helios” means “sun,” and “tropos,” turn. Heliotrope’s name is derived from its habit of turning to face the sun, a characteristic which all “heliotropic” plants exhibit.
The colors of the heliotrope blooms range from dark and light shades of purple to white. Its clustered five-lobe flowers resemble those of the forget-me-not.
Also called the common heliotrope and cherry pie plant, these humble names belie a beguiling fragrance that has been described as cherry-almond-vanilla.
This plant has a temperate nature, meaning that it can’t withstand harsh weather extremes. It is best suited to gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11.
In my area of the northeast, it grows as a tender annual. This means that even a touch of frost spells disaster.
Elsewhere in the world, it is a tropical woody perennial. This is how it was growing when it was discovered in the 18th century in the Andes mountains of Peru, by French botanist Joseph de Jussieau, and brought to Europe.
Soon its essence became the stuff of perfumes, and its beauty a backdrop for
Adored by florists and gardeners everywhere, lilies are delightfully flamboyant with gorgeous flowers and heady perfume.Renowned for their big, bold blooms i
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