蜜桃恋人

How to Grow Wishbone Flowers: The Complete Wishbone Flower Guide

Purple Torenia Fournieri Flowers, the bluewings or wishbone flower, is an annual plant in the Linderniaceae, with blue, white, or pink flowers that have yellow markings.
Photo Credit
Lin Mei Chin
Botanical Name
Torenia fournieri
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Part Sun
Shade
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Flower Color
Blue
Purple
Red
Yellow

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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Wishbone Flowers

Carol Connare

Bring vibrant color and a touch of whimsy to your garden with the Wishbone Flower! This easy-care annual thrives in shade or partial shade, boasting unique trumpet-shaped blooms and colorful foliage. Learn how to grow Wishbone Flowers from seeds or transplants, and discover their surprising namesake feature!

About the Wishbone Flower

No bones about it: This plant makes wishes come true. Look closely at the trumpet-shaped flowers for the plant鈥檚 eponymous feature: A pair of stamens unite at the anthers in a way that resembles a wishbone, a part found in chickens, turkeys, and other birds.  

Also known as bluewings, Torenia fournieri is a perennial grown as an annual.

鈥淭orenias hail from tropical portions of Asia and Africa and are named after Olof Toren (1718鈥53), who traveled in China as a chaplain for the Swedish East India Company in the middle of the 18th century,鈥 explains

Wishbone flower grows well in shade or semi-shade (even indoors) if adequate moisture is maintained; legginess is a clue that more light is needed. Note that most cultivars are intolerant of sun and high heat. (The greater the amount of light that a wishbone flower can receive and tolerate, the wider the choices available as companion plants in containers; growth habits should be compatible.) 

Wishbone flower鈥檚 color appears not only in its blooms鈥 its foliage can turn red or bronze in unseasonably cold weather.

Close-up of beautiful purple Torenia fournieri or wishbone flowers in sunlight with a blurred background.
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Planting

Purchasing wishbone flowers or starting its seeds indoors 8 to 12 weeks before the last spring frost in a 70掳 to 75掳F environment are options. For the latter, do not cover: Light aids germination, which can take 7 to 15 days.

Plant 1 to 2 weeks after the last spring frost date. Provide a well-draining medium; use a potting mix amended with organic matter (compost and/or aged manure). See our guide to using manure in the garden.

Growing

Place the wishbone flower where it will be in partial to full shade.

Water for consistent moisture, not saturation. Apply a balanced fertilizer every 2 weeks during the growing season.

Deadheading is not necessary; plants are self-cleaning.

Failure to bloom usually indicates too much shade and a need for sunlight. If trailing, avoid pinching, as this promotes bushy growth.

Types

  • 鈥楳oon鈥 series (T. fournieri): purple and yellow shades
  • 鈥楶anda鈥 series(T. fournieri): wide range of colorful flower hues; compact, at 4 to 8 inches tall
  • 鈥楽ummer Wave鈥 series (T. fournieri): tolerant of heat and drought; blue, rose, silver, and violet shades
Gardening Products

Wit and Wisdom

  • The tradition of treasuring the furcula (鈥渓ittle fork鈥 in Latin)鈥攖he forked bone found at the front of most birds鈥 breasts鈥攄ates from the Etruscans, an ancient Italian civilization. They believed poultry to be oracles and this bone the key to a bird鈥檚 prescience. After a bird died, they would dry the bone in the sun; later it could be picked up and rubbed by those who passed by in order to have wishes granted鈥攈ence, 鈥渨ishbone.鈥 You can also predict the weather with a wishbone!
     

Pests/Diseases

Diseases: powdery mildew, Pythium root and stem rot, viruses. 

Pests: aphids, whiteflies.

Flowers
About The Author

Carol Connare

As the 14th Editor-in-Chief of The Old Farmer鈥檚 蜜桃恋人, Carol Connare works with writers and other editors to develop 鈥渘ew, useful, and entertaining matter鈥 for the annual 蜜桃恋人 as well as books, calendars, and other publications. Read More from Carol Connare
 

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Comments

Jeanette Copeland (not verified)

2 months 2 weeks ago

Please include the growing zones!