Salpiglossis

This annual is a native of Chile. It forms neat bunches that grow 1 to 2 feet high. The mostly basal, elliptic, thin or oblong leaves grow up to 4 inches. There are many varieties of this plant that may be colored purple, crimson, yellow, violet, blue, or rose. Some are veined/netted with a contrasting color. The flowers resemble a single petunia, growing 2 to 3 inches across.

Pot Cultivation

Outdoors, they need a sunny, fairly sheltered spot. They should be planted 6 to 9 inches apart. The stems might need supporting with thin sticks to prevent damage in windy weather. They don't thrive in very hot weather.

Propagation

Seeds may be started indoors at a 70- to 75-degree temperature, 12 to 16 weeks before it's safe for them to grow outside. Plant them in flats of light soil, which is kept moist and shaded; cover with a pane of glass. Before they become crowded, transfer them to 3-inch pots, or 2 inches apart in flats that are 4 inches deep filled with two-thirds loam, one-third leaf mold and a bit of sand. They may also be planted directly outdoors when the soil is warm. They may be grown in a greenhouse for bloom in the spring and early summer or when desired as cut flowers. Sow seeds in August or early September. When they're 2 inches high, pot individually in 3-inch pots filled with loam, leaf mold and sand. Keep them safe from frost during the winter, but don't grow them in high temperatures because they'll become weak and won't bloom well. When they are established in those pots, transfer them to 5- or 6-inch pots filled with two-thirds loam and one-third leaf mold, humus or peat moss and thoroughly decayed manure.

S. sinuata

VARIETIES

S. sinuata