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Botanical name: Nierembergia gracilis ‘Starry Eyes’
A mounded, upright clumping variety that produces lovely lavender flowers all summer; great for beds and mixed containers; exhibits good heat tolerance, but does need regular watering.
Other names: Cupflower
| Hardiness zone | 7a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | lavender |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | mounded |
| Mature height | 16 inches |
| Spread | 18 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Starry Eyes Nierembergia has masses of beautiful lavender cup-shaped flowers with buttery yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its small narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Starry Eyes Nierembergia is a dense herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Starry Eyes Nierembergia is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Rock/Alpine Gardens, General Garden Use, Groundcover, Container Planting, Hanging Baskets
Starry Eyes Nierembergia will grow to be about 16 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 3 years.
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Starry Eyes Nierembergia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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