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Overview
Torenia is a genus of about 50 species of annual and tender perennial herbs in the family Linderniaceae, native to tropical Africa and Asia. The familiar species, T. fournieri, the wishbone flower, is grown worldwide as a warm-season bedding and container plant. Plants form low, bushy mounds 6-12 in (15-30 cm) tall with toothed, ovate leaves on squarish stems. The flowers are tubular and two-lipped, 1-1.5 in (2.5-4 cm) long, in shades of blue, violet, purple, pink, and white, usually marked with a yellow throat blotch. Inside each flower two stamens arch together in the shape of a wishbone, which gives the common name. Unlike most summer bedding plants, Torenia flowers freely in partial to full shade, though it needs consistently moist soil and warm temperatures and stops growth in cool weather. In frost-free climates some species behave as short-lived perennials, but in temperate gardens they are grown as annuals killed by the first frost. Bloom continues from early summer until frost.
Native Range
Native to tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia, including parts of India, Southeast Asia, and southern China. T. fournieri originates in Vietnam and neighbouring parts of Southeast Asia.Suggested Uses
Grown as a warm-season annual in shaded beds, borders, window boxes, hanging baskets, and mixed containers, spaced 6-8 in (15-20 cm) apart. It combines with other shade annuals such as impatiens, begonias, coleus, and ferns.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 1'
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
blue, violet, purple, pink, or white with a yellow throatFoliage Description
medium greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 3-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Across the genus, Torenia grows in partial to full shade in rich, consistently moist, well-drained soil with a pH of about 5.5 to 6.5. Plants need steady moisture and falter if allowed to dry out, wilting quickly in hot, dry air. Warm soil and air above 60 F (16 C) drive growth, and cool weather stalls it. A monthly feeding during the growing season supports continuous bloom. In hot climates afternoon shade reduces heat stress. Grown as an annual in temperate zones, it is replaced each year from seed or transplants.Pruning
Pinching young plants once encourages branching and a denser mound. The plants are largely self-cleaning and need no deadheading to keep flowering, though shearing leggy growth in midsummer renews a tidy shape. No pruning is needed beyond shaping.Container Growing
Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons