Schizanthus wisetonensis
Butterfly flower, poor man's orchid, schizanthe: its latter nickname comes from its finely marbled and spotted corollas, which are remarkably reminiscent of certain orchids — even though it is simply an annual, related to petunias and tomatoes. Native to Chile, it produces one of the most intricately detailed blooms that can be grown from seed.
Characteristics:
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Spectacular flowering: clouds of marbled flowers ranging from purple to pink, with shades of orange, salmon, violet and red, above finely divided foliage.
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Long season: it flowers abundantly from May to September.
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Compact, bushy growth: ideal for containers, hanging baskets or borders.
Sowing advice:
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Position: bright but sheltered from scorching sun — in hot regions, it appreciates partial shade in the afternoon and dislikes high temperatures.
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Soil: light, humus-rich, moist and well drained. It likes rich but loose growing media that are never waterlogged: in a pot, good potting soil lightened with sand is perfect.
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Method: sow in pots under cover from February to April, on the surface without covering: the seeds need light to germinate. Keep moist at around 18 °C. Pinch out young plants to encourage a well-branched habit. See how to sow seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant after the frosts into pots, planters, hanging baskets, beds or borders, spacing plants 25 to 30 cm apart.
Care advice:
- Water regularly but not excessively, especially in pots. Remove faded flowers to extend flowering.
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its open-throated flowers attract bees and bumblebees, and its long flowering period makes it a useful resource for much of the season.
Uses:
- Ornamental: containers, planters, hanging baskets, beds and borders. It is also well suited to growing indoors in a bright location.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Leave a few faded flowers to form their small capsules, then harvest them as soon as they turn brown, before they open and disperse their tiny seeds. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Give yourself an exotic-looking display of blooms with these butterfly flower seeds.
