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Help identifying this plant, please

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  • image

  • Lynn

    Look up iochroma.   

    H-C

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    Last night the Bluebell thing was Acnistus australis.  I think it has now been renamed as Iochroma australe You can get seeds from Chiltern seeds. They describe it as tender, but I had three I raised from seed.  Two were blue, one white. They survived five years, but the minus 15 freeze we had finished them off. There is a seedling growing next to next doors wall. It has white flowers. I can't get cuttings to take from it.

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Hi Lynn. The plant is the Argentine Blue Bell shrub  Lochroma australis.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Snap fb image

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Spell check! Should be an I not an L Sorry Lynn.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • Hooray! Now will start research on Lochroma australis.

    Thank you so much, nutcutlet, Dovefromabove, Hortum-create, fidgetbones and Ladybird4.

  • Iochroma it is then. Thanks again.

  • Yes, have found under its proper Latin name - with photos too (in case anyone wants to see what I have been on about). It really is a lovely shrub and as fidgetbones said earlier, can also have white bells. 

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    It grows to about six feet , sheltered by next doors house wall. I prune it down in spring like a buddleja, and it regrows. it tends to flower in two flushes. I hack off bits at regular intervals to get the car out.

    I don't think it would survive a winter in a frost pocket.  Chiltern say it can flower the first year from seed , but mine took two years to flower. The fruit are a bit like small tomatoes, with very fleshy seeds. I must try and grow some on again. I think a bird planted the white one for me.

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