They come very easily from cuttings. You can keep them youthful by dead-heading regularly and/or pinching back. This pic was taken on Aug 10 last year & the plants are doing well - lots of blooms & buds, even that late into the summer.
{{gwi:2013}} Al

This is my 2nd or 3rd year to use Torenia. Aren't they great? Almost too good and easy to be true. :) Torenias ask for so little but put out wonderful flowers all summer long. I wish they'd come out with some more colors though.

Reading this post could be dangerous to my wallet. *sigh*

I agree, Janet. I just went out and bought a couple of torenia today, and *stuffed* them into one of my hanging baskets. I couldn't believe it - no browallia. And, for Heaven's sake, some of the nurseries I went to didn't even know what I was talking about.

Another shocker - I asked the clerk to look up the details of one of their spireas - she just looked dumbfounded as she looked in the book that lists the nursery's plants (this is a *big* nursery). She said 'where would I find that?'; I said, 'flowering shrubs'. She laughed and said, 'I just started working here today and they put me on cash - I don't know anything about flowers'... I can't believe a nursery would hire someone who doesn't know anything about plants! lol.

Janet - Torenia comes easily from cuttings, so a little 4-pack can go a long way to ease the hit on the ol' wallet. ;o)

Al

Fortunately, one of my area nurseries that's moved heavily into the Proven Winner-type $4/pot annual sales also had some six-packs of Torenias in several colors for less gougific prices, and I picked up a couple for a shade/filtered sun bed.

The pink/rose Torenias are less appealing to me than the blue/purple varieties.

Torenia are also easy and fast growing from seed. Mine were in bud a mere six weeks from sowing with the exception of Susie Wong, which took closer to 10 weeks.

Sooo...

THEORETICALLY, I could take cuttings from the plants that commanded too much money this year and grow more (more affordably) next year?

I've never done cuttings... but the color is nice and I have not a great deal of enthusiasm for "forking over major pork" next year... . I'm really good at following directions and seem to have a reasonably "green thumb".

Yeah? nah? maybe?

Thanks, Al, I will definitely remember that!

I'm a "convert". This is a a wonderful plant. I was horrified at the price, but Holy Mackerel! they've delivered the goods and then some.

I need to "wise up" to the whole "cutting" thing!

I recently needed 3 hanging baskets as our new place had a pole with hooks already in place. Home Depot had exactly 3 baskets of what resembled torenia, except in colors of orange, deeper rusty-red, white and yellow. I have always loved torenia and was delighted by the orange-ish colors! I am looking forward to propagating these for when the originals become spent.

I will need something next spring to replace the impatiens I used to put in the shady spots in the yard. I like to put them here & there to brighten up the yard in midsummer when most of the shade loving perennials have quieted down. Is Torenia the future replacement for this use of impatiens?

I LOVE torenia! It does do very well in my partial shade. I had a surprise sprout in full sun that is also doing well. I hope my seeds grow well. :)