Chinese Houses Flower seeds
Contrary to their name, this herbaceous variety hails from the shady parts of California, mainly the Baja area. These dainty beauties got their name as they resemble Chinese pagoda-style houses. Each layer of petals circles the stem, starting wider at the base and growing more narrow as they reach the top of the stem, like the structure of a pagoda.
This variety produces blooms with subtle hues of purple, some soft pink, and subtle whites. The blooms will be present from Mar-July, depending on your hardiness zone. The blooms are nectar-rich and attract butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. These are also deer resistant.
Although these are annuals, they behave like perennials in that they will drop seeds and come back wherever they are planted each year. At the end of the season, you can choose to remove the seeds or leave them so they return.
These will reach between 1-2 feet tall. They prefer full sun to partially sunny areas with loamy, well-draining soil. They are resistant to disease and virtually all pests. These are ideal for window boxes, containers/pots & flower beds.
Seed count: 200
Botanic name:
Collinsia heterophylla
Plant spacing:
12 inches
Color:
White towards the center of the blooms with varying shades of purple and soft lavender.
Sowing depth:
1/16 inch deep (top sow)
Sun requirements:
Full sun / part sun
Utilization:
Flower beds, flower pots, rock gardens, along walk ways. These are great for attracting pollinators.
Frost Hardy:
No
Maturity days:
40-50 days
Life cycle:
Annual
Can I start indoors?
Yes
Container friendly:
Yes
Other names:
Purple Chinese houses, Harlequin Blue-Eyed Mary, Innocents
