Honeywort is a beautiful, striking appearance in any garden. Very suitable for the annual border, for cultivation in flower pots and containers, as a striking eye-catcher and as a cut flower. Honeywort is a member of the Periwinkle family (Apocynaceae) just like: Large Periwinkle, Lesser Periwinkle, Frangipani, Periwinkle, Oleander, Silk Plant and the White Angel Plant. This family consists of flowering plants that include shrubs, trees, herbs, lianas and climbers. Honeywort originates from India, China and Australia. Here it lives on rocks and trees.
In our climate (Netherlands and Belgium) this plant is best grown in a greenhouse. This plant has small, tubular, blue-purple flowers with long stems that are surrounded by thick-fleshed green leaves with a blue-purple tinge. This plant can be used very well as a cut flower. Honeywort can also be kept as a pot plant and houseplant. Honeywort is a non hardy annual. Loved by bees, butterflies and other useful insects. Flowering period: July till October. Non hardy annual. Height: 40 – 80 cm.
Pre-soaking: 12 hours
Indoor sowing: middle of March - April
Outdoor sowing: middle of April - June
Germination: 7 - 14 days
Germination temp.: 16 - 22 °C
Sowing depth: ½ - 1 cm
Planting distance: 40 - 50 cm
Plant position: sunny - sheltered
Flowering period: July - October
Soak the large seeds in lukewarm water for about 12 hours before sowing. Then sow indoors from mid-March in separate pots with well-moistened potting soil. Sow ½ - 1 cm deep and cover the seeds with some sieved potting soil. Keep moist and warm. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop, especially at night. Transplant the seedlings into a larger pot as soon as they are large enough to handle. Harden off the seedlings during the day for about 10 days at the beginning of May. Then place them in the open ground in a very sunny place with well-drained soil. Keep moist and weed-free.
Sow outdoors in the open ground from mid-April. Provide a very sunny, sheltered place with well-drained soil. Sow thinly and press the seeds gently. Thin the seedlings out to 40 - 50 cm as soon as they are large enough to handle. Keep moist and weed-free. This plant can also be kept as a potted plant and houseplant.
