Guide to growing Chilean Bell Flower - Nolana

Nolana are hardy annuals and perennial desert plants that range from 20 to 90 cm in height.

Nolana mollis by Felipecancino; creative commons.

Nolana elegans (Blue flowers; the purple ones are Alstromeria) by Valerio Pillar; creative commons.

Quick Nolana Growing Guide and Facts

Common Names: Chilean bell flower
Life Cycle: Hardy Annual. Half Hardy Perennial commonly grown as a Half Hardy Annual by gardeners.
Height: 8 to 36 inches (20 to 90 cm).
Native: South America.
Northern America: Zones 2 to 8. As a perennial in zones 9 to 10.
Flowers: Summer.
Flower Details: Blue, Purple, pink. Centers are usually white and veined yellow or purple. Trumpets.
Foliage: Lanceolate.
Sow Outside: Cover seed. Following the last frost. Spacing 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm).
Sow Inside: Best started outdoors. Use peat pots. Germination time: one week to one month. Temperature 65 to 70°F ( 18 to 21°C). Five or six weeks in advance. Transplant outdoors following the last frost.
Requirements: Full sunlight. Good drainage. Sandy soil. Gravel. Poor soils. Can survive in dry soils; is extremely drought tolerant.
Miscellaneous: The lower surface of the leaves excretes salt. It uses this to trap moisture. This enables it to exist in extremely dry areas such as the Pan de Azucar.

Further Information

Research into the desert plant Nolana mollis from the Holbrook lab.