Guide to growing garden plants - Incarvillea Trumpet Plant
Incarvillea are hardy perennials that grow in clumps and may reach heights of between 30 and 120cm.
They have fern-like leaves and carry exotic trumpet shaped flowers of yellow, red or pink.
They are great plants for use in borders, and the smaller varieties are of use in rock gardens.
Some of the common names for Incarvillea are trumpet plant, Hardy Gloxina, and Chinese trumpet flower.
How to grow Trumpet plant
the seeds of trumpet flower should be sown on the surface either before the last frost of spring or in the autumn. trumpet flowers and other Incarvillea members like to grow in sunny area of the garden, and will not tolerate high humidity. Trumpet flowers have a preference for soils that are of a sandy nature, with a slightly acidic rich growth medium.
If you prefer to first grow Trumpet flowers indoors then they should be started about two months before the expected last frost of spring. They will take about three to eight weeks to germinate at a temperature of 15 to 21 degrees Celsius. Once you have trumpet flower (Incarvillea) seedlings transplant them at 25cm (small species) to 50cm apart (large).
Caring for trumpet flower
Once growing it is fairly easy to look after Trumpet flowers, the soil should be kept moist and the plants dead headed following flowering. if you live in a cold area then it is necessary to provide a mulch to Incarvillea for the winter. If you require more Incarvillea plants then divide the plants in spring.