Heliotropium

Heliotropium Care

Heliotropium

What is the plant

Heliotropium is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. There are around 325 species in this almost cosmopolitan genus, which are commonly known as heliotropes. It is highly toxic for dogs and cats.

The name "heliotrope" derives from the old idea that the inflorescences of these plants turned their rows of flowers to the sun. Ἥλιος (helios) is Greek for "sun", τρέπειν (trepein) means "to turn". The Middle English name "turnsole" has the same meaning. A Classical myth, told in Ovid's Metamorphoses, imagines that the water nymph Clytie, in love with the sun god Helios, was betrayed by him. Wasting away, she transformed into the heliotrope, whose flowers supposedly always face the sun. Several heliotropes are popular garden plants, most notably garden heliotrope (H. arborescens). Garden heliotrope is grown in Southern Europe as an ingredient for perfume.

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Lighting

Full Sun

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
It is useful to avoid wetting the leafage and to water during prolonged dry spells. For pots, shorter intervals between watering sessions are needed because pot soil tends to dry up much faster. It is not a plant you should let dry out between waterings. Keep the soil moist at all times but not drenched during the hotter months.
Fertilizer
They are heavy feeders in the garden, but in containers, they become voracious. Feed them every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer meant for flowering plants.
Sunlight
A heliotrope plant needs at least six hours of sun a day and prefers morning sun. The hotter the climate, the more afternoon shade they need.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
They appreciate rich, loamy soil and even moisture, particularly if planted in containers. They don’t do well in heavy clay.
Temperature
Heliotrope fears both cold weather and cool winds. This plant will freeze and die whenever temperatures drop below 25°F (-4°C), so it should be grown in pots that easy to bring it indoors over winter.
Container
This plant can be grown in containers. Choose a pot with enough drainage holes.