Wishbone flowers (Torenia fournieri) are an excellent choice for bringing some color and life to a shadier part of the garden. Unlike many other flowers, these compact plants don't mind growing in a little shade. Their trumpet-shaped blooms come in several color choices; the primary species coloring is a dark blue-purple and lavender with yellow markings. Within each flower, a pair of stamens (the slender stalks) unites in a shape that resembles a wishbone, hence the plant’s common name. Plant wishbone flowers in the spring after the threat of frost has passed. While they are annuals and will die once frost arrives in the fall, they grow quickly and bloom profusely from early summer all the way until when cold weather sets in. Moreover, the plants are deer-resistant and attractive to hummingbirds.
