Heliotropium arborescens Seeds | Heliotrope
LATIN NAME: Heliotropium arborescens
COMMON NAME: Heliotrope, Cherry Pie, Garden Heliotrope
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) is a bushy, tender, evergreen shrub in the borage family (Boraginaceae), native to warm regions of south America, while it has been cultivated in gardens and conservatories for a very long time. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the borage family, Heliotropium arborescens is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Heliotrope has a real and distinguished place in research. For practical purposes the message is encouraging: generations of cultivation have produced plants of predictable, well-mannered garden character.
Uses & Benefits
Heliotrope brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Heliotrope is a tender, fragrant shrub of warm garden and conservatory, bearing clusters of small, deep-purple, vanilla-scented flowers through much of the year. Its flowers feed bees and butterflies, and its bushy, evergreen growth gives a fine presence in conservatory and container, while its tender nature means that it needs a warm spot or a greenhouse in cold regions. To raise heliotrope, sow seeds on surface of pots of moist, open compost in a warm, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow little plants on in the warmth. Routine care after establishment is refreshingly light.
Heliotrope is grown for its vanilla-scented flowers; the genus contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so it is an ornamental to admire, not to ingest.
Growing from Seed
Starting Heliotrope from seed is simple and satisfying. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in bright light until the seedlings are well up. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Being a bushy, tender, evergreen shrub, it asks for a permanent spot and repays it yearly. As a bushy, tender, evergreen shrub, it settles into a routine quickly once established. Keep the sowing evenly moist at the start — that is the one real requirement.
Related Reading
If Heliotrope appeals to you, these related plants are worth a look: