Heliotropium arborescens

Cherry Pie, Garden heliotrope, Common heliotrope

Message of the Flower

Vital Consecration

The Mother’s Comment

Delightfully modest and fragrant, it smiles at life without wanting to draw attention to itself.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

If you want a true mastery and transformation of the vital movements, it can be done only on condition you allow your psychic being, the soul in you, to awake fully, to establish its rule and open to the permanent touch of the divine Shakti and impose its way of devout aspiration and complete surrender on the mind and heart and vital nature. There is no other way and it is no use hankering after a more comfortable path.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Himself and the Ashram: The Question of Marriage

Colour

Pale to deep purple

Family

Bignoniaceae

Cultivars

Marine', 'Alba', 'Fragrant Delight'

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

Small individual flowers clustered in large, rounded inflorescences

Flower Texture

Soft, delicate

Number of Petals

5, fused at the base

Floral Symmetry

Radial

Fragrance of Flower

Sweet, vanilla-like fragrance

Leaf Texture

Hairy, rough

Leaf Arrangement

Alternate

Leaf Color

Green, sometimes with a purplish tinge

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial in tropical climates, often grown as an annual in temperate zones

Blooming Period

Late spring to early fall

Climate

Prefers warm, not too hot climates

Water Requirements

Medium, requires well-drained soil

Soil Type

Loamy, well-drained

Temperature Ranges

Frost-sensitive; thrives in temperatures between 18C to 24C (64F to 75F)

Sun or Shade

Full sun to partial shade.

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Susceptible to whiteflies, spider mites, and root rot in poor drainage

Pollinators

Attracts bees, butterflies

Habitat

Native to Peru, cultivated worldwide in gardens

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides nectar for pollinators

Ornamental

Widely grown in gardens for its fragrance and attractive flowers

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Mainly ornamental and for perfumery

Endangered Status

No