Iochroma australe
Dunalia australis
Acnistus australis
A half-hardy shrub or small tree, evergreen if grown under glass, normally deciduous outdoors. The leaves are downy and the trumpet-shaped, hanging flowers are an unusual, dark lavender-blue
1.5-2.5 metres
1.5-2.5 metres
| Season | Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
May survive outdoors in mild areas in free-draining soil in a warm, sheltered position. Otherwise grow in an unheated greenhouse in peat-free, loam-based potting compost in bright to moderate filtered light. Pinch young plants to encourage bushiness. Good in a patio pot taken in for winter
Propagate by seed sown at 15°C in spring, or by softwood cuttings in late spring, or semi-ripe cuttings in summer
Pruning group 9, or pruning group 12 as a wall shrub. Plants grown under glass may need restrictive pruning in late winter
May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly indoors
Generally disease-free