July Flower of the Month: Lisianthus

Flower of the Month (July)

Eustoma, commonly known as Lisianthus. 

The flower that looks like a rose but isn’t a rose and requires a lot less effort to grow.

As someone who adores roses but just doesn’t have the time or patience (or an 8 foot stone wall to keep animals away) to grow them at scale, lisianthus is what allows me to have a fluffy rose like ingredient in design work without having to fret over them.  

Deer and rodents avoid them, pests don’t seem to notice they’re around, and they aren’t phased at all by heat or drought. And as a cut flower, they can last for almost 2 weeks in the vase! A fact that makes one overlook the one downside : lisianthus isn’t a scented flower. Aside from that, they truly are the perfect rose substitute.

Growing lisianthus from seed does take practice, as monitoring temperature in a very precise way is required to get them started. Thankfully can be purchased in plug form if you wish to skip that step (no shame here in admitting that I do!), and planted out in very early spring to get a summer crop. 

Harvesting Lisianthus in July may allow for a second flush to come in the fall, but please note that Lisianthus are not cut-and-come again flowers.

Therefore, if you’re going to include them in your flowering borders or landscape, it’s best to dot them in amongst longer blooming plants so their presence won’t be missed.

No matter what, they’re well worth growing and will make your indoor and outdoor spaces lovely.