I have an Iochroma starting to bloom; a plant I got from Kartuz last year. It really kicked in this year & is now pretty big & loading up with buds. Kartuz refers to it as "low & spreading". Mine is about 3' tall and leans towards the strongest source of light, but not what I'd think of when I read "low & spreading". I did a little Googling to see if I might have another misidentified Iochroma from them. So far, the results are inconclusive, but I found some good info on Iochromas & thought I'd share. Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iochroma

Here are a couple more sites with some good basic cultural info & pics:

http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/tips126.htm

http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/126.htm


It seems Iochromas are best suited to the cooler climates, so may not be for everyone. But I haven't seen a lot said about them, so if you have favorite reference sites about them, feel free to add them to this thread.





Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Thanks for the links. None of mine even come close to the low & spreading description. My shortest one is the scarlet and that's close to 3' though it is much bushier then my others. I can see where most would respond well to being trained as a topiary. Maybe I'll try that. I've done it with some other plants and like the result. I didn't realize there were so many varieties. Mine also thrive in the heat and humidity. They are in full sun and don't seem to suffer in the least. Our temps have certainly been hot. What variety do you think they might have sent you this time?
Karyn

I've had three or four colors, but I don't remember what kinds they were. All became tall, probably 4-1/2 ft. or more. I kept them in the garage over the winter (2 years) and they looked like dead sticks, but at the first day of sunshine and that first drink, back they came. Can't say I've ever seen one that was low and spreading unless pinching might have created that effect.

ChSam (Shirley Morr)
Chariton, Iowa
Zone 5

My plum and wine haven't gotten near as tall as my others. I just trimmed up Royal Blue into a 6' standard to save room overwintering it.

Both wine and plum are only 2 feet tall at most and I have been growing them for a couple of years. matter of fact as long as I have had Royal Blue. All have been grown in part sun to save on watering. Could be only some get really tall.

It's tough to find info on the Iochromas, I still have so many unanswered questions about them too.

There are a couple more pages at the site you linked to, Patrick...
Acnistus australis - they have is mislabeled twice, "Iochroma australis" and "Iochroma acnistus." Acnistus is a separate Genus from Iochroma, but both are generally called Iochroma.
http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/118.htm
http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/tips118.htm
and the other one, "Plum Paradise"
http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/139.htm
http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/tips139.htm

Lynne
USDA 9b, Heat 10
Bradenton, Florida