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Oxypetalum coeruleum

 
Oxypetalum coeruleum
Mingling nicely with gaura and other perennials in April of its second year in our Texas garden
Oxypetalum coeruleum

Synonym(s) Tweedia coerulea
Family apocynaceae
Life cycle tender perennial (Z8-10)
Flowers light blue
Size 18-24"
Light sun
From seed germinate at room temperature
detailed seed-starting info below

Native of Central and South America that can supposedly be used as an annual in Pennsylvania's climate. In my first attempt, the first-year plants never flowered (and of course didn't return for a second year). A second attempt didn't fare any better – but once we moved to the Houston area, chances of success improved. We purchased two 'Heavenborn' cultivars as annuals from a local nursery, and those started showing off their five-petaled icy blue flowers a week later. They kept on blooming on somewhat unruly stems all year, and somewhat to my surprise, stayed evergreen even through a harsh January freeze, pushing up new growth by late February.

Oxypetalum coeruleum
Lots of flowers, not a great garden habit. I'll have to experiment with how to make it work in mixed plantings.
Oxypetalum coeruleum
Skipper feeding on its flowers one July morning
Oxypetalum coeruleum
Milkweed-like seedpods in late October

This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away...

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Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Seed from '05 trade. Baggy 70F (58%G, 7-20d)
  2. Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (100%G, 13-20d)


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