Heliotrope is a Hot-Spot Workhorse the Keeps Coming Back

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Heliotrope is supposed to be hardy in zones 10 and 11 but this gem has returned for its third year in a hot, zone 7, sidewalk bed.

It is not the Heliotrope that has the vanilla scented flowers. This one trails wonderfully and serves as a ground cover, preventing most weeds from spring through fall.

It originally came to me from Proven Winners but it is no longe on their website - I think its reputation for spreading by underground rhizomes and by seed may have taken them by surprise. For me it is delightful! I am moving it to hot dry spots all over my beds!

Any ideas about specific identification?


Comments

Unknown said…
I live in zone 6, so I used to buy Heliotrope as an annual. However, in the past few years, I had stopped buying annuals because they are so much work. I prefer the perinnials instead.

How lucky are you that you can grow Heliotrope as a tender perinnial!
July 6, 2008 at 5:59 AM
Molly Day said…
It surprises me every year it comes back, Bobbi. I suspect that the fact that I leave the bed littered with last summer's flower stems may contribute enough mulch to protect them in mild winters.

We treat our canna lilies the same way -leave the fallen stems as mulch over the winter. It all looks pretty untidy but no one spends much time garden peeping here when everything is brown.
July 6, 2008 at 2:03 PM
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