Bountiful Gardens

Torenia: The Charming Wishbone Flower for Shady Spots

Torenia, commonly known as the Wishbone Flower, is a delightful and versatile annual celebrated for its prolific, trumpet-shaped blooms and its preference for shady conditions. Its unique flowers, which resemble miniature snapdragons, come in a stunning array of jewel tones—vibrant blues, purples, magentas, pinks, and yellows—often with a contrasting throat color that adds to their depth and beauty. The clever common name comes from the two stamens inside the flower, which are curved and joined at the tip, forming a shape like a tiny chicken wishbone.  This shade-loving annual is wonderfully low-maintenance and easy to grow, provided its basic needs for moisture and shade are met.

Why is Torenia So Popular?

Torenia has earned its place as a garden favorite, especially in our often hot and humid summers of NJ. Its popularity is driven by several key advantages:

Shade Performance: It is one of the best annuals for providing vibrant, season-long color in partial shade, where many other bloomers fail to thrive.

Continuous Blooming: Torenia is a "self-cleaning" plant, meaning the spent flowers drop off on their own. It requires no deadheading to keep producing a profusion of blooms from late spring until the first frost.

Hummingbird Magnet: The tubular shape of the flowers is perfectly designed to attract hummingbirds, bringing lively activity to your porch, patio, or garden beds.

Versatile Growth Habits: It is available in both mounding and trailing varieties. Mounding types are perfect for edging borders and filling in beds, while trailing types (like the 'Summer Wave' series) are spectacular "spillers" in hanging baskets and containers.

Deer Resistant: While no plant is completely deer-proof, deer tend to avoid Torenia, making it a reliable choice for our area.

When to Plant:

Torenia should be planted in the spring after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. 

Growing Instructions:

Sunlight: Torenia performs best in partial shade or morning sun with afternoon shade. It can tolerate more shade, but flowering may be less prolific. Protect it from the intense, direct afternoon sun, which can scorch its leaves.

Soil: It thrives in rich, consistently moist, and well-draining soil. Before planting, it's beneficial to amend the soil with compost or other organic matter to improve fertility and moisture retention.

Watering: This is the most critical factor for success. Torenia does not like to dry out. Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Plants in containers and hanging baskets will likely need watering daily during the heat of summer.

Fertilizing: For plants in containers, a weekly or bi-weekly dose of a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer will encourage vigorous blooming. For those in garden beds with enriched soil, fertilizing once a month is usually sufficient.

Spacing: Space plants about 8 to 12 inches apart to give them room to grow and ensure good air circulation.

The History of the Wishbone Flower

Torenia is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. The genus was named in the 18th century by the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus to honor Olof Torén, a Swedish pastor and botanist who served as a chaplain with the Swedish East India Company. Torén discovered the plant while traveling in Asia and sent specimens back to Linnaeus for classification.

The common name, "Wishbone Flower," comes from the fascinating structure of its stamens. When a pollinator, like a bee, pushes its way into the flower to reach the nectar, it separates the joined stamens, which then spring back into place—a clever mechanism that helps ensure pollination. This delightful and functional feature has charmed gardeners for generations, cementing its place as a unique and beloved garden plant.