Growing Lisianthus

Lisianthus aren’t a very well-known flower, but they should be. They have a lengthy bloom season, make a great cut flower (10-14 day vase life!), and looks that rival roses (without all the thorns). Plus they’re Steph’s absolute favorite, which counts for something, right? When I was ordering plugs earlier this year, I went a bit overboard, but now that they’re in full flush, I don’t regret it one bit. We’re in lisianthus heaven.

Growing Zone

Lisianthus is both an annual and a tender perennial depending on the growing zone. It grows best as a perennial in warmer zones 8 - 10, so since we’re in 6b, we grow it as an annual. We cover the crops with frost cloth to protect them if temperatures dip after planting.

Planting

We order our plugs and plant them in tunnels. Lisianthus don't love the cold weather, so it is ideal to plant them after the last frost in spring. When planting, keep in mind that lisianthus perform best in full sun and well-draining soil. They will still bloom in partial shade, but they won't be as full or big.

In Bloom

Lisianthus bloom from early summer into early fall. Make sure to keep their soil moist, especially when tending to small lisianthus plants. They don't do well if the soil is dry and tend to die quickly when small. As the plants get bigger, they become more drought tolerant. Lisianthus don't do well in humid weather either. We encourage growth using Neptune's Harvest fertilizer, but using it is optional. Pruning lisianthus promotes new growth and continuous blooms throughout the entire season.

Propagation

Lisianthus can be propagated from seed or from stem tip cuttings and should be done in the spring. We do not propagate because we use it as an annual and only grow the amount I order.

Varieties We Grow

• Croma
• Lavender, yellow
• Doublini
• Blue, white, pink
• Voyage
• Blue, green, rose, yellow, champagne, apricot, white
• Arosa
• Violet
• Roseanne
• Black pearl, brown, green

So if you hadn’t heard about the wonderful flower that is lisianthus, now you have. You can be sure to find them in our bouquets and bulk boxes when they’re in season!