I have read conflicting information about Heliotrope, which I have recently ordered but not yet received. I read that it is a perennial but often treated as an annual. So I hope it is okay to post my questions here.
One source says heliotrope wants to be hot and dry, don't water much. Another source says keep it moist and don't let it dry out.
What is your experience with Heliotrope? I ordered 'Marine'.
Any cultivation tips about growing heliotrope are appreciated.
Confused about Heliotrope...
Here it is definitely an annual. It can take lots of sun (our sun isn't as hot, obvioulsy, as yours). It needs to have good drainage or it will rot, but it does need to be adequately moist throughout.
I grew it one year at my old house (only about 20 miles from here but it was zone 9b not 9a) and I don't think it came back after the winter. I kept it on the cooler side of my house where it really just got morning sun, and that whole garden bed was moderate moisture and it did fine (at least until winter!) Plant Files lists it as only hardy in zone 10 so chances are it won't come back for you but you never know! I'd take cuttings to make sure though (or if you don't mind that the babies might not look like the parent, you could see if it make seeds for you).
It does have a Heavenly smell, though, so it would be worth it to try and overwinter if you had the resources . . .
I had trouble with the watering - I either had it too dry or too wet. My landscaper said his mother (in Mexico, don't know which part) had it blooming in her courtyard, where it was a perennial. It does have a heavenly scent.
I was amazed on my one (and only) trip to Mexico. Plants that I had been babying in my house for years were growing wild and untended and were HUGE. It really gives meaning to the concept of growing plants that are suited to your environment.
I too have grown heliotropes in the past, but they never come back after dying back in the winter. I stopped planting them since I am basically a lazy gardener and like plants that come back year after year, or reseed themselves. It was pretty when I had them though. Katie - maybe the ones in Mexico was a different variety from what they sell here in the US??
Ecrane3 - do you remember the difference between 9a and 9b zones? I don't remember, and I can't seem to find the info anywhere again.
Hmm. Well I'm going to try it, I just have to figure out the best site for it. I don't water my roses much and they do great. But I think that it would enjoy the sun that the roses get.
Would soil rich in organic matter be a problem for heliotrope? I use a lot of compost around my roses....
I didn't see Heliotrope in Mexico, Irwells50's landscaper did. But I presume that it's warm enough there that it may winter-over. And it's not unlikely that it reseeds itself there, as well.
Here's some information I found online: http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/plant/heliotrope.htm
Wow what a great link from WSU! Thanks!
Thanks to everyone for your information. I'm excited to get these plants going! I think that they will do well in the rose beds, where the soil has been enriched with compost.
soilsandup--9a has a winter minimum temperature that's 5 degrees below 9b. 9b can get down to 25F and 9a can get down to 20. That's the only difference between them since the USDA zones are based only on winter minimum temperatures. Since this is California there are other differences between where I was then and where I am now but those aren't accounted for in the USDA zones (which is why I like the Sunset zones better)
PonyFarmer, enjoy and don't forget to show us what you end up with!!
I just saw this story and thought you'd like it:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/molly.asp
Ecrane - thanks for the explanation. I didn't realize that Dublin's winter can get colder than Sacramento's.
Maybe they'd make through winter in a warmer climate if they were heavily mulched.
Fragrant annual here.
Have needed to deadhead it to keep continual bloom.
My seed don't appear to be coming up, sign! They are in my little greenhouse.
Mine didn't sprout either woodspirit1, totally bummed, 10 pots of nothing.
Well, since I posted they weren't coming up, they did, or at least some of them. I think I am too impatient. Some seeds take longer than others to sprout and if you kinda give up, and leave that bare dirt unwatered, then you lost them. I have made this error before and can't seem to get it through my head that most seeds take longer than I expected.
Hey Katie,
I had not seen that story.....she appears to be a very nice quality miniature mare and worth the expense of saving for sure.
My ID here on DG is now misleading.....I have since gotten out of the miniature horse business, and do not raise or show them anymore. I have moved in new directions and I don't feel the need to own horses like I used to. It's actually a good thing to feel the freedom of being able to go travel and not worry about tending to livestock.
FYI--Whatcom county is north of Seattle around Bellingham. It is colder in the winter than we are around Puget Sound. I always get some and use them as annuals because of the smell and beauty.
Annie's annuals has a white version:
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=2703&account=none
Kathy
Here in western NC zone 7a, they did beautifully for me the year I planted them, delightfully fragrant, but didn't come back.
I got mine in the ground last week after receiving them from Territorial Seed as small plants. This was my first purchase with Territorial Seed and I was pleased with the quality.
