Other Names:  Double Lisianthus

Group/Class:  Echo Series

Brand:  Sakata

Description:

A popular series that is bred ideally for harvesting cut flowers; elegant cup shaped flowers are borne on long, sturdy stems; brightly colored flowers bloom above gray-green foliage from late spring through summer; good for landscapes and containers

Ornamental Features

Echo Purple Lisianthus features showy purple cup-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Echo Purple Lisianthus is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Echo Purple Lisianthus is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Echo Purple Lisianthus will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and tends to be biennial, meaning that it puts on vegetative growth the first year, flowers the second, and then dies. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Echo Purple Lisianthus is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.