Eustoma grandiflorum is native to North America- and is found in the prairie from Colorado to Nebraska and down to Texas. It is also called Eustoma russellianum and more commonly as Lisianthus and Bolero Deep Blue.

 

Eustoma grandiflorum plant grows to about 15-inches-tall used and has a spectacular blue-green foliage.

 

Lisianthus has wonderful flowers which are either simple or double, and blue to rose-red depending on the variety. The flowers usually are blue color but the well-bred varieties come in blue, lavender, and various shades of pink, white, white with a purple center and white with a pink or lavender rim. Some flowers have doubled petals and look much like roses. The leaf is ovate, simple and arranged in opposite manner. The plant however bears no fruit.

 

Eustoma grandiflorum flower grows in part shade/part sun. It is tolerant to acidic; slightly alkaline; sand; loam and clay soils. It tolerates drought moderately.

 

To grow the plant a spacing of 6 to 12 inches should be left. It should be sown in late winter/early spring (January-February) in free draining seed compost. The seed should be covered with compost, and sealed in a container inside a polythene bag after sowing, without excluding light. Germination would take after 10-30 days.

 

Eustoma grandiflorum flower bloom from May to September and is a good cut flower.

In spring, the plant gradually hardens off and they can be planted outside 8 to 12 weeks after the last frost date. Pinch young plants to promote bushiness, and remove spent flowers to encourage new blooms.

 

 

It is a high maintenance flower and is primarily grown as an annual. It is suitable for borders, beds, containers, and flower cutting gardens. The loose, open habit of the plant makes it nicely suited for an informal border. Unlike many other bedding plants, a mass planting does not form a nice, smooth mass of color. Instead, an irregular mass of purple covers the ground. It is used as an annual in landscapes throughout.

 

Eustoma grandiflorum is subject to stem canckers, and viruses.

 

Did you know?

·        Lisianthus florets are often used in corsages.

·        The name comes from the Greek words lysis.