Week 27, Year 3: Red, White and Blue

 

In honor of the Fourth of July, I'm spotlighting some patriotic members of my garden: Nicotiana and Scaevola.

The Red - Nicotiana. With its star shaped petals and fragrant evening smell, Nicotiana would appear to be a jasmine family member. Instead, it is one of seventy members of the nicotine family, which includes traditional tobacco (yes, the same stuff that goes into cigarettes). Hence, Nicotiana's more common name, flowering tobacco.

While you can't smoke this stuff, you can grow it. A native of Brazil, Nicotiana was apparently introduced to gardeners in England in the 1820s. Today, it has become a popular annual all over the world and comes in a variety of colors. Nicotiana are shade tolerant, which makes them a great filler to any shade loving container, though part sun seems to be their preference. Sticking to the Independence Day theme, Nicotiana is a presidential favorite, spreading the grounds of Monticello and other Virginian estates. The perfect patriot -- my varietal is red hybrid, which is less fragrant than the white variety, but vivid in color.

White and Blue - Scaevola. A double dipper, this proud American shines in white with royal blue trimmed edges. The fan-shaped flowers appear to have been folded or cut in half, explaining their generic Latin name, which translates to "left-handed."

According to Wikipedia, several legends have sprung up around the reason for this unique shape. One legend claims the flowers were torn in half by a woman after a fight with her lover. In their anger, the Gods turned all of the flowers into half flowers, separating the two lovers who were forced to live out their days searching for another whole flower.

 

Scaevola actually have tropical origins, coming from Australia and Hawai'i. So, they are drought and heat tolerant. My patriotic hybrid is called the Scaevola Diamond. It is playing a filler role in one of my combo pots, growing downward.

  

I've also planted a "blue" variety that has deep purple (blue) flowers with yellow centers in a window box.  This version grows vertically and is often called an Australian Fan-Flower.