Lisianthus is a popular choice for floral designers looking for elegant flowers to use in arrangements. It is a versatile and classy flower that is often used as a focal point. There are many options for colors and ruffles to choose from, including elegant buds and ruffled petals. These delicate blooms are prized for their beauty and ability to last for two weeks or more as cut flowers in a vase.
It seldom happens that a brand new kind of flower is offered for home gardens. New and often hybrid versions of old plants are often touted as new, so the individual flower is. But brand new to me was lisianthus, offered at a horticulture building sales stand as a pot plant in full bloom.
Flowers are large and cup-shaped from long oval buds, the open ones resembling those of canterbury bells. Flower colors include purplish blue with a darker interior, salmon pink, and snowy white. The foliage is a medium green with a silvery appearance – altogether a beautiful new addition to a gardener’s repertoire.
My own experience with lisianthus as a pot plant in a west-facing apartment was negative: It did not survive five days in the heat without water, even though it was derived from a native western American wildflower. Eustoma grandiflorum is a native American prairie gentian occurring from Nebraska to Texas, where it naturally self-seeds.
Is Lisianthus an Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
It is generally treated as an annual, or possibly a biennial, but wasn’t cultivated as a highly prized garden flower until Japanese breeders got hold of it. Their hybridizations produced new, stunning additions to our gardens.
Apparently, these new hybrids were first introduced to North American gardeners years ago at Disney World in Florida, where an interesting planting suggested ways to use them—mixed with white and yellow pansies or with yellow snapdragons. They were also mixed with pink petunias, white snapdragons, and variegated ivy at a New England flower show.
Another possibility is interplanting them with tulips in the spring to take over flowering when the tulips fade (unless some strains prove winter hardy when treated as biennials).
Lisianthus as Half-Hardy Perennials
Many seed catalogs describe them as half-hardy perennials, which means they won’t survive winter outdoors in cold, northern climates (but might under a reliable snow cover or in warmer southern zones). For most gardeners, they are grown as annuals.
Growing Lisianthus from Seed
Some catalogs have offered seeds of the old prairie gentians, noting they begin flowering in mid-July from a February sowing indoors, producing one flower per stem until frost. Height is given as around 20 inches (50 centimeters).
Park Seed, the source of so many unusual seeds for the home gardener, lists hybrid varieties with blooms like roses, but they last twice as long! Flowers come in deep violet-blue, pink, and white. There are also single-flowered versions that come in separate and mixed colors. Buds resemble roses at first, open to a tulip form, and finish like poppies—all while being surprisingly drought and heat tolerant once established.
Seed Starting Tips
Starting plants from seed is not as easy as tomatoes. Lisianthus needs light to germinate, so the seed must be sown on top of the damp potting medium and covered with plastic or glass to retain humidity. Do not bury the seeds!
- Germination Time: Takes around two weeks at a soil temperature of 70 degrees F (21°C).
- Lighting: Seedlings need brighter light than our windows usually provide during the recommended starting time (December or January), so fluorescent lights are strongly suggested.
- Temperature: Household temperatures are okay for seedlings if you can let them drop 10 degrees F at night.
Seedlings do not seem to grow much for the first few months, but when they do, move them to individual two-inch pots and pinch out terminal shoots when plants have two sets of true leaves. They go outdoors only after the danger of frost has entirely passed. They need full sun and soil that is both porous and high in organic matter. They can be spaced about six inches apart.
Mix and Match Colors
Despite its common name, lisianthus, this plant has a long history with botanical name changes. The blooms of the lisianthus, regardless of their name, are what this plant is all about.
There are many colors available: pink, blue, purple, and white. You can also find bicolor combinations of these hues. You can choose from a single flower with just one ring of petals in the center or a double with multiple rows of petals.
Lisianthus can be found in some western states’ ditches and grasslands. This plant can survive in harsh environments because of its thick, waxy leaves. The foliage also has a beautiful bluish-green color that perfectly highlights the blooms.
Lisianthus Care: Must-Knows
Plan to invest some time when growing lisianthus. It can take a long time to mature from seed. Occasionally, it may take as much as 5 to 6 months (or even longer) to flower. It isn’t easy to sow only a few plants from this plant’s seed because it is so fine and powdery.
Many of these varieties were developed to be cut flowers. Some of taller plants will need to be staked to ensure they don’t fall over in the wind. Newer varieties have been bred to look dwarf, so they are better suited for home gardens without the need for staking.
When choosing blooms for cutting flowers, pick stems that are close to, but not fully, open. Buds that are too small or tight will not open fully on their own in a vase.
Comments are closed.