Heliotropium arborescens

Vanilla flower ( Heliotropium arborescens )

The vanilla flower ( Heliotropium arborescens ), also called heliotrope or solstice, is a species of the family Boraginaceae ( Borage Family)

Description

Vanilla flowers are evergreen shrubs. The plant grows up to 80 inches high and up to 100 cm wide, the leaves are dark green and wrinkled. From early summer to appear until well into the autumn small purple to lavender-blue, strong and beautifully scented flowers. How many borage family also includes the Vanilla flower beside the perfumes also toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Distribution area

Originally, the vanilla flower from the Peruvian Andes.

Use

The vanilla flower is a popular bedding and balcony plant, as they are not, however, is hardy, it is usually cultivated as an annual plant, although it is actually more year. By breeding efforts there are some varieties (violet green ' Lord Robert ' dark, 'Aurea ' golden yellow ) in the leaf color or flower color ( 'Alba' White) differ.

Evidence

• Cheers Gordon (ed.): Botanica. The ABC's of plants. 10,000 species in text and image. Könemann, King Winter 2003, ISBN 3-8331-1600-5.