Heliotropium Species, Clasping Heliotrope, Blue Heliotrope, Summer Heliotrope

This plant showed up as a volunteer and was ID'ed by Dave's garden forum members for me. It has done extremely well with SC heat and ver...Read Morey little water (in high 90's lately) When pruned or pinched back, behaves much like verbena - produces more blooms, becomes more compact. If let go, gets sprawly, spindley with few blooms. I have 3 volunteers on my property but doesn't seem invasive. It has out-performed most of my perennials this year! Pollinators love it! Oh, and one of them is doing just fine in an area that only gets 4 hours of full sun, and another is thriving in an area where it gets stepped on constantly - I need to move it!

This plant has survived in a hot, dry area by the road where nothing else does well. It blooms all summer with no watering and bees and ...Read Moresmall butterflies like it too.

Heliotropium amplexicaule does not seem to be a problem in the US but it is an invasive weed in Southeast Australia and is toxic to livestock. Mine has not spread beyond where it was originally planted three years ago but be aware it could be invasive where conditions are favorable.