Article and photos by Penny Woodward
Vanilla cherry scented heliotrope flowers
Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) is also known as cherry pie because of its sweetly scented mauve and white flowers that are particularly beautiful in my garden right now. It is a woody perennial with small, rough, oval leaves and flat heads of small white to mauve flowers with a delicious vanilla/cherry scent. There are many modern varieties including ‘Alba’ a white flowered form and ‘Lord Roberts’ which has dark purple flowers and dark metallic-purple leaves. All types attract insects and butterflies to the flowers to feed on the abundant nectar.
The darker leafed Lord Roberts heliotrope
The dark purple flower of Lord Roberts heliotrope
This native of Peru is easily grown from seed sown in spring or autumn, or from cuttings taken from new growth in spring. Heliotrope needs reasonable amounts of water in spring and summer but it will tolerate most soils as long as they are well drained; very wet or frosty conditions in winter will kill it. It likes a sunny open position but also tolerates quite a bit of shade and I have found it quite drought tolerant in a shady position. English books tell you to plant it in full sun, but I have found that Australian summers can be too hot and plants will need protection from the late afternoon sun. This heliotrope grows to over a metre in height and and can sprawl to two metres across. If you want to keep it compact then prune in spring after the last chance of frost has passed.
The flowers are used in perfumery, to scent soaps and powders, and are added to potpourri. The whole plant is used in homeopathy to treat sore and overstrained throats.
