Family: Scrophulariaceae
Common Name: Wishbone Plant

Indigenous to tropical Asia and Africa, these 40 species of lovely, summer-flowering annu­als and perennials make attractive subjects for borders and hanging baskets. The flowers are in the same colour range as pansies-purple, blue, violet and yellow. The light to dark green leaves are oval to elliptical, with toothed margins.

Species

T. atropurpurea, from the Malay Archipelago, grows to 60 cni (24 in), with single, purplish red flowers.

T. baillonii is a shrubby annual, with purple and yellow flow­ers.

T. fournieri is an annual species with a more erect growth habit, 20-30 cm (8-12 in) high. The flowers are multi-coloured, in violet, purple and yellow. The long flowering period is from mid to late summer into autumn.

T. hirsuta is an annual with a spreading habit. The flowers have hairy calyces and deep blue corollas.

Cultivation

Torenias are frost-tender. The annuals, like T. fournieri, can be grown as pot plants in a cool greenhouse, or used for summer bedding. Raise plants from seed in mid-spring, germinated at 18°C (64°F). When danger of frost is over, plant out in partial shade, in well-drained yet moist soil.

Climate

Zone 9 to 10.