In summer, heliotrope fills your garden with its sweet scent.
Clusters of small purple or blue blooms top off dark green foliage.
Heliotrope’s abundant flower clusters add a splash of color to a container garden or a flower bed.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Long, deeply veined leaves provide texture that acts as a lush backdrop for the fragrant heliotrope blooms.
Overall, the plant has an almost shrubby appearance.
These plants can be almost completely covered in blooms during summer and create quite a “scent-sation.”
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
All parts of heliotrope plants are toxic to humans and horses.
Select locations close to outdoor activity areas so the scent can be appreciated.
Even in those locations, it is better grown as an annual because it tends to become straggly.
Credit: David Speer
One of the best ways to use heliotrope is incontainers.
This way, you might move plants around so their sweet fragrance may be enjoyed often.
Heliotrope is also great to plant in groups to maximize its fragrance, as it is sometimes subtle.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Remove the plant and loosen the roots a bit from the root ball before placing it in the hole.
Backfill with soil, tamp lightly, and water well.
Space heliotrope plants 12 to 18 inches apart.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Don’t let plants dry out, and confirm plants get adequate drainage to keep them healthy and thriving.
Light
The plants are happywith full sunand moderate moisture but can tolerate a bit of shade.
In a shadier spot, the plant may not bloom quite as much.
Credit: Janet Mesic Mackie
When planted in containers, they prefermoist, loamy soil.
Heliotrope plants love water, so keep the soil moist.
When planted in a container, heliotrope requires frequent watering.
Fertilizer
In the garden, fertilize heliotrope plants monthly using afertilizer high in phosphorousto promote more blooms.
When planted in containers, heliotrope plants benefit from applying liquid fertilizer every two weeks.
This appears on the foliage of the plants as a powdery white substance.
Powdery mildew generally will not kill the plant but can slow its growth.
Also, avoid getting the foliage wet when watering, especially in the evening.
How to Propagate Heliotrope
Heliotrope can bepropagated with cuttingsor seeds.
Cuttings deliver a plant identical to the parent, whereas seeds may not.
Select a 5-inch section of stem and cut just below a leaf.
Then remove the leaves on the bottom half of the cutting and dip the end in rooting hormone powder.
Insert the cutting into a moist planting medium.
Place the cutting in bright indirect light and water frequently to keep the medium moist.
The cutting will begin developing a root system in a few weeks.
‘Fragrant Delight’ Heliotrope
Heliotropium’Fragrant Delight' bears soft purple, highly fragrant flowers on 3-foot-tall plants.
It’s the perfect plant for adding bright color to hot, sunny spaces.
This tough plant blooms all summer long with spirelike spikes of blooms.
While all varieties are beautiful, keep an eye out for the sweetly scented selections.
While most gardeners treat angelonia as an annual, it is a tough perennial in Zones 9-10.
If you have a bright, sunny spot indoors, you could keep it flowering all winter.
Duranta
This unusual annualhas beautiful blue-and-white flowersthat are almost orchidlike in their beauty.
It delights gardeners with its airy clusters of blue, violet, or white flowers followed by golden fruits.
Watch for selections with variegated foliage; they add even more interest.
Plant in spring in rich, well-drained soil after all danger of frost has passed.
Keep moist, but do not overwater.
Technically a tropical shrub, licorice plant is usually grown as an annual in the United States.
It does best in full sun and well-drained soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
The blooms and fragrance of this plant are appreciated wherever they are.
If you’re adventurous, train the plant to a tree-like appearance.
you’ve got the option to bring them indoors as fall approaches.
Position the container in a sunny spot during the day.
The tricky part comes at night.
The plants need nighttime temperature to to remain between 50F to 55F, cooler than many people like.
North Carolina State University Extension.
