Fundamental Facts
HARDINESS: Tender
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Moist, well-drained
PREFERRED LIGHT: Sun to partial shade
ATTRIBUTES: Pansy-shaped purple, plum, lavender, pink, white, or yellow flowers on compact plant; for beds, edging, pots
SEASON OF INTEREST: Spring and summer; winter in frost-free regions
FAVORITES: Duchess series for dwarf form; Happy Faces series for color range; 'Suzie Wong' for yellow-orange flowers
QUIRKS: Needs shelter from hot afternoon sun
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Campanula, Russian sage, dusty miller, snapdragon
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Moist, fertile soil in sun or partial shade
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Whiteflies, aphids, spider mites
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good
SOURCE: Bedding plants, seeds
DIMENSIONS: 6-12 in (15.2-30.5 cm) tall, 12 in (30.5 cm) wide
Torenia in the Landscape
When you need a little whimsy, the pertly colored, trumpet-shaped blossoms of torenia are guaranteed to add cheer to your garden. Also known as wishbone flower, torenias have a delightfully clownish quality, with 1 in (2.5 cm) wide, two-toned flowers covering compact 8-12 in (20.3-30.5 cm) tall plants, whether they are grown in sun or partial shade. Torenias withstand summer heat in champion style and ask only for moist soil to stay in bloom through summer continuously until frost.
Native to Indochina, torenias bear bicolored flowers reminiscent of pansies, traditionally sporting a light blue hooded upper "lip" and a blotched royal purple lower "jaw." As if that weren't enough, a prominent yellow "throat" enhances each flower.
In addition to the blue motif, other colors have been added to torenia s bag of tricks. The heat-tolerant 'Happy Faces' series and the dwarf Duchess series includes flowers in plum, blush pink, white, and lavender . A selection of another species, T. flava (formerly T. baillonii), sold as 'Suzie Wong', is similar, but has a more mounding growth habit and an abundance of striking yellow-orange blossoms with purplish, nearly black throats.
Because they pack so much pizzazz, torenias work wonders in small spaces and bring a great change of pace to sites in partial shade. You can also use them in combinations in window boxes and other containers or as an edging in the garden.
Growing Torenia
Not everything this fancy is equally easy to please. Torenias will grow in full sun in cool-summer areas, but where summers are hot they require at least a half day of shade. Fertile, well-drained soil that holds moisture well is ideal. Apply a 3 in (7.6 cm) thick layer of organic mulch to reduce evaporation from the soil, and water as needed to prevent wilting. To promote abundant flowering, apply a balanced, soluble fertilizer every 2 or 3 waterings during the summer and pinch off seedpods.
Increasing the Bounty
As torenias popularity has grown, so has its availability as a bedding plant. Look for healthy bedding plants at garden centers in the spring, and keep them constantly moist until you plant them. To sow the small seeds, it's best to sow them indoors about 8 weeks before your last spring frost. The seeds need light to germinate, so sprinkle them over moistened seed-starting soil and place on a sunny windowsill or under fluorescent lights and keep the soil at 70°F (21°C). After seedlings sprout, grow them at 60-65°F (16°-18°C). Transplant them into 2 in (5.1 cm) diameter pots when they have 3 sets of mature leaves. Move seedlings outdoors when the weather is warm and there is no danger of frost. In mild regions, sow seeds directly on moist, fine-textured garden soil and keep it barely moist until the seeds germinate and have several sets of mature leaves.
Torenias are not prone to pests but occasionally do fall victim to sap-sucking pests, usually tiny, pear-shaped aphids and red spider mites, which can be recognized by leaves marred with pale, stippled spots. Simply rinse off the leaves, especially the undersides, with a firm spray of water several times a week until they are gone. Control tiny whiteflies with insecticidal soap per label directions.
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