Browallia

Browallia, (amethyst flower, bush violet)is hardy to zone 8A otherwise use as an annual.

Grows to 18 inches tall with dark blue, blue violet and violet lavender flowers.

Blooms in midsummer through to the end and into the early fall or autumn.

An excellent container plant in trailing or compact bush form. It is also an excellent shade flower for window boxes and rock gardens.

If planting in containers bring them indoors before the first frost and they will continue to grow and flower.

I would cut them back a fair amount as they will get less sun in the Winter.

You can also dig up a plant or two, cut them back, put into a container and you'll have pretty flowers all Winter long.

How to grow Browallia

Browallia is a delicate thought delightful annual with blue flowers. Botanically speaking, it belongs to family Solanaceae, better known as the Nightshade family.

To properly understand the conditions that a plant needs to survive you should always locate the point of its origin and try to understand what conditions suit it when it grows in the wild.

Barring a few highly altered hybrids, most plants originated in the wild in some region of the world. When subjected to natural conditions they have mechanisms that allow them to grow and propagate quite naturally.

In the case of Browallia, you need to understand that the reason this plant is delicate in northern climates is that it is a tropical plant, a native of Peru, and as such has little tolerance for cold.

Generally speaking you should not attempt to grow it if you do not have a greenhouse, as it will quickly die if you expose it to cold.

It can reach about one to one and a half feet in height and has oval shaped leaves that are about two inches long, and beautiful tubular blue flowers, each about half an inch in length, and half an inch wide at the mouth.

Though I've said the flowers are blue, in different varieties the shades can range across to a beautiful violet.

There are different varieties and species available that differ even further, including Browallia grandiflora, a two foot tall 'giant' whose leaves are smooth and green, and with exquisite flowers that are a bright blue in color with calyx tubes of a beautiful contrasting yellow color.

Care of the Plant

As I have said before,this is a tropical plant native to Peru, and thus must be vary carefully cultured in a more northern climate.

It is highly recommended that you grow it mainly as a green house plant, and that you keep it in pots and do not under any conditions put it in the ground in a climate so alien to it.

The plants can easily be carried out of the green house, and the pots left in the open during the summer months when they will flower. There are around six species available, so you have quite a choice of varieties.

If you are a beginner, it is highly recommended that you do not attempt to grow this plant from Browallia seed, at least until you experimented with other kinds of plants and have gained considerable experience.

If you intend to grow this as a pot plant, you will generally be quite successful, and I particularly recommend the dwarf varieties of this genus, including 'marine bells' which have very interesting deep blue flowers, 'sky bells', whose flowers are a beautiful light blue, and the more exotic 'silver bells' whose flowers are white in color.

Propagation

Browallia is propagated from seed, but this is not recommended for the beginner, for the reasons stated earlier, that is, it is a tropical plant whose requirements both for care and for germination are not easily understood, and even less easily met by the northern gardener.

If you are a beginner, it is best that you buy this plant from a nursery or gardening store rather that try to grow it from seed, at least not until you have some more experience.

For those who would like to grow Browallia from seed, the seedling should be put in one to a pot, and the sowing time is under glass in March.

As they germinate they should be cared for carefully, still under glass, right until June, which is the blooming period, and when you can carry them outdoors if you like.

They need a great deal of sunlight, so give them this, and also ensure that the soil they are planted in is well drained.

They will flower from June onwards for quite a period, only ensure that you put them in the greenhouse at the slightest indication of colder weather, or even during a slightly cold spell.

If you protect them in this way, they will continue to flower in the colder months, and you can have beautiful flowers all through the winter!

Browallia Seed

Plant seeds indoors at 70 degrees and in 14 to 21 days plant outside after the last frost.

When planting either in containers or in the ground you will want to use humus rich soil and keep it moist and well drained.This is a great hanging basket plant.

Use it as you would Impatiens or in combination for an eye catching delight. Try it You'll like it.

More Photos of Browallia

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