#993 Torenia fournieri Common Names: wishbone flower, bluewings, torenia Family: Scrophulariaceae (figwort Family) Get link to this Profile or click for data record #993

Torenia cultivars produce lots of flowers all season long despite heat and humdity - look for them in pink, white, yellow and shades of blue and purple.

Location
The wild wishbone flower was originally from southeastern Asia, Viet Nam in particular.

Culture
Feed every couple weeks with a fertilizer high in potassium to promote flowering, and pinch off stem tips to increase bushiness.
Light: Wishbone flower likes a moist soil, rich in organics. Water freely when dry.
Moisture: In warmer climates, wishbone flower can be grown in partial shade to nearly full shade. Morning sun and afternoon shade is best. Up North, grow wishbone flower in full sun.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 6 - 9. Wishbone flower thrives in warm, humid climates. It is a tender annual that needs temperatures above 40°F (5°C). It does not tolerate frost.
Propagation: The torenias are readily grown from seed sown in place in early spring, or started indoors ahead of the season. Seed germination is improved by light, so don't bury the seeds - just press them into the soil surface. They also can be started from cuttings.

Usage
Wishbone flower is best used in masses in borders and flower beds. For the best effect, plant them close together, about 6 in (15 cm) apart. This is the hot weather substitute for pansies Viola x Wittrockiana). In Florida, we grow pansies in beds in the winter and wishbone flowers in the summer. They are excellent in hanging baskets, too, where the rather weak stems can trail over the sides.

Features
Inside its corolla tube, wishbone flower has two wishbone shaped stamens that are joined at their tips until the flower is ready for pollination, at which time the stamens pull apart.

The genus Torenia includes some 40 species of perennial and annual herbs from Africa and Asia. It was named by none other than the father of modern taxonomy, Carolus Linnaeus, for a contemporary Swedish clergyman, Olaf Toren. The specific epithet honors the French botanist Pierre Fournier.

Steve Christman 4/22/05

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