Heliotropium arborescens
| Heliotropium arborescens | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Heliotropium arborescens (common name: heliotrope)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 25 days at 20°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[1]. High percentage. Because the plant is not hardy the cuttings would have to be grown in a greenhouse for the winter before planting them out in the spring.
Cuttings of young shoots in the spring[2]. Because the plant is not hardy the cuttings would have to be grown in a greenhouse for the winter before planting them out in the spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a rich well-drained soil in full sun[3]. Plants grow best in a sandy loam[4].
Severely damaged by low temperatures[2], this plant is not hardy in Britain but it can be grown as a half-hardy annual, flowering in its first year from seed[2][3]. If grown as a shrub, it requires a minimum winter temperature of 5 - 7°c[3]. Plants stop growing when night-time temperatures fall below 5°c and are likely to be killed once the temperature falls below -2°c[4].
The plant turns its leaves and flowers so that it is always facing the sun during the day[5].
The flowers have a most unusual perfume, somewhat like cherries baked in a pie[6]. It is a good butterfly plant[7][8].
A parent of the cultivated ornamental garden heliotropes[2], there are many named varieties[3].
Range: S. America - Peru.
Medicinal: The plant is used to make a febrifugal tea[3].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the whole fresh plant[5]. It is used in the treatment of clergyman's sore throat and uterine displacement[5].
Usage: An essential oil obtained from the flowers is used in perfumery[9][10].
The plant is sometimes used as a low hedge, though it is not hardy enough in Britain for this purpose[6].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The seeds are poisonous[11].
Also Known As: H. peruvianum. L.
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Baines, Chris. Making a Wildlife Garden.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.