So, as a part of my work, I design and oversee the installation and maintenance of many display beds and planters in this city. I make my plans and accompanying order in the fall. Among my intended stars of the show were to be a number of popcorn cassia-Cassia didymobotrya. My grower-we contract this out-had no reason to see any supply chain issues but sure enough, now that it's basically too late to start some alternative plant, their supplier just announced that they will have none on hand. Since I'm in scrambling mode, we looked around the greenhouse for plants already started that might somehow work to fill the gap. I don't see nay chance of successfully retaining the bright yellow color scheme of the Cassia, but so long as I can obtain something with a complimentary color to the other components intended for these many planters, it will work. One we looked at is Iochroma 'Royal Queen'. I've already got some purple going on in these planters-using Setcreasea 'Purple Heart', so at least from that standpoint, this could work. Other items in those planters are things like Sunpatiens in oranges and reds, 'Whooper' begonias, and others. The color-matching I can handle but what I'm looking for here is anyone with experience with the Iochroma.

It's function in these largish planters would be as the so-called "thriller"-the big tall thing in the middle (like the Cassias would have been). What I'm wondering is just how floriferous Iochroma really is. You know how photos in seed catalogs etc. are always maxed out for brilliance, color saturation, close cropping, etc. In fact, on the web are numerous pics of the blooms very close-up. But what I need to know is how does the plant look as a whole, and how much blooming do these things really do? Any commentary will be appreciated.