Heliotrope is a Hot-Spot Workhorse the Keeps Coming Back

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!
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.

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