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Painted Tongue 'Café Au Lait'
Painted Tongue 'Café Au Lait'
Seed Packet

Painted Tongue 'Café Au Lait'

Salpiglossis sinuata
These trumpet-shaped flowers are burnished brass with chestnut tracery creating smoldering centers punctuated with bright gold pollen. Painted tongue is an excellent cut flower in areas where summer nights cool down. Good massed in large containers where deadheading and care become easy. Pelleted seed.
SKU #S1790
$4.50
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Details
Approximate Seeds Per Packet
23
Shipped As
Pelleted seed
Lifecycle
Annual
Annual Hardiness
Half Hardy Annual
Mature Size
2-2.5' h x 1' w
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Soil
Regular to rich, moist, well-drained
Season
Summer to fall
Color
Bronze and gold
Features
Great for containers
Great Cut Flower
SOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Depth:
Surface sow; press in and sprinkle lightly with fine vermiculite then cover with black paper to exclude light, as Salpiglossis requires darkness to germinate.
Sprout Time:
7-21 days
Seed To Bloom:
14-16 weeks
Starting Indoors:
Start in pots 8 weeks before last frost. Keep at 70-75°F.
Starting Outdoors:
Direct sow at last frost date. Cover seeds as they require darkness to germinate.
WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
After last frost.
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
Velvet trumpet—an old name for this vintage flower—is a stunning annual native to Chile. It is an illuminated manuscript of a flower, with elaborate veining showcasing the varied flower hues. Grow at the edge or middle of the border or in cutting gardens to admire and gather for long-lasting bouquets. It is best where summer heat is not extreme, and nights cool down, followed by sunny, dry days—a situation not common in many gardens. But they will do fine with some straw mulch to cool the soil and a bit of afternoon shade. Pinch back young plants to promote bushiness and place some small twiggy branches in the ground for support when planting.
Final Spacing:
1'
Water Requirements:
Medium Water Use
Watering Details:
About 1" per week; do not overwater.
Soil pH:
Not particular about pH
Fertilizer:
If soil is poor, mix in about 2" of compost before planting.
Diseases & Pests:
Aphids may appear. If needed, treat with insecticidal soap. Avoid any root disease by growing in very well-drained soils.
When to Cut for Bouquets:
Harvest when there are several fully opened flowers on a stem.