'Heliotrope'
This tender perennial grows fast and makes a choice mass planting or houseplant or pot plant for the patio. This selection grows 8 to 10 inches tall and has deep dark purple flowers that are very fragrant. I like the wrinkled looking leaves too, which are a dark greenish purple color. The stems become woody and if you are keeping the plants for more than one year, they should be cut back. Best in full sun in soils that are moist but not wet. Trim back the stems to form a more full top and shorter, more stocky plants. Cuttings can be rooted and grown inside over winter.
Surface sow seeds, light needed for best germination, use F 75, germination in 2 to 3 weeks. Hardy in Zone 10, other wise take inside for winter or grow as an annual. The species is native from Peru. Germination in less than 2 weeks at 68-75ºF, rapid germination, but some seeds might be erratic and spread out over a few weeks, grow seedlings out cooler, say around 55F, to keep plants from becoming leggy inside.
50 seeds.
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