Heliotrope Seeds

Useful gardening information

Cherry Pie, Mary Fox, White Queen are all names that refer to that old, cottage garden beauty Heliotrope. Heliotrope flowers were a favorite in grandmother’s garden due to it's dense cluster of delicate flowers, and in its delicious aroma.
Some gardeners think the fragrance is that of vanilla, but most think it is closer to it's common namesake, cherry pie. These sweethearts are temperate perennials usually grown as annuals. They are drought and heat tolerant and deer hate them. Small, shrub-like plants, heliotrope flowers grow from 1 to 4 feet high. Their leaves are long ovals of dark green. They are long bloomers that begin flowering in summer and offer up their fragrant bounty through the first frost. Heliotrope plants grow in one-sided clusters that follow the sun, hence the name from the Greek words Helios (sun) and Tropos (turn).
There is one warning that should accompany any discussion in the care of heliotrope plants. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and animals if ingested. So keep them away from children and pets.

Links to useful information on the web:

How to grow Heliotrope

Heliotrope Growing Guide

3482 Heliotrope Extra Dwarf Marine ( Heliotropium Arborescens )

Heliotrope is a cottage garden favorite, and through the years has been called Turnsole Plant, Cherry Pie Plant, Common Heliotrope, and Fragrant Heliotrope. Whatever name you call it, it is a delight to grow!
It is a richly colored plant with both foliage and blooms that nicely contrast each other. The blooms are not only lovely, but they also have a spectacular vanilla scent! Has a compact form with broadly oval to lance-shaped, textured leaves tinged with purple. In summer, it bears a profusion of fragrant deep violet-blue flower heads up to 6 inches across. Plants are dwarf, growing only 8 to 16 inches tall on average.
Heliotrope plants are a perennial in warmer climates but grown as an annual where it is not hardy. Its rich foliage and profuse blooms make it a great choice for summer bedding, containers or window boxes. A strong scent of vanilla floats through the garden, especially on summer evenings, making this tender perennial an excellent choice for containers or edgings in sunny borders. Bees and butterflies like the scent as well and visit Heliotrope flowers often.
A perennial for zones 9-10, but most often grown as an annual.

Sow Heliotrope seeds indoors 6 - 8 weeks before the last frost. Use rich potting mix and keep the flower seeds moist until germination. When transplanting to the garden or larger containers, pinch back tops of young plants to encourage branching. Deadhead spent blooms throughout season to encourage flowering. Remove plants after frost.

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