I tried growing these when I sold bouquets but I wintersow everything, and these need a longer season than I can provide. I could probably do it if I put more effort in lol, but just didn't have it in me at the time. Too bad, as they are really beautiful. So I live vicariously through people who post their pictures here! Thanks for sharing your beautiful blooms - what a gorgeous color!

:)

Dee

I grew Lisianthus once, and bought them at the nursery in the spring. I loved them. They're just not easy to start from seed unless you start them indoors early. I don't have time to do that, so I will pick up a six pack at the nursery if I see them, but they don't always offer them.

PM2 I don't think I've ever seen them in a nursery around here. I would definitely buy some if I saw them! Maybe I need to widen my circle of nurseries/garden centers lol

:)

Dee

@bellarosa Oh what interesting and lovely colors. I didn't know they were available with such variety.

If you started in jan, when did you transplant out into garden? I have been considering trying lisianthus from seed, usually in the middle of winter when I am desperate for some plant activity.

Iowa B, I started them on Jan 2nd and transplanted them in May. I would definitely recommend growing them. They are slow growers, but worth the wait.

Thank you for the info. I am looking at all the options for seed in the Geoseed catalog. What a selection! Many are for cut flower production though so I will spend some time looking for a good garden variety.

I am curious why you want to specifically hear from first-timers. The usual way to learn about a plant is to ask those with a lot of experience. I wish I had some Lisianthus experience to share but the one time I got some, it didn't last very long. Such beautiful blooms!!

Do they set viable seed? They can be had in the UK, but usually as pelleted seed and very spendy. The type of plants which need to be grown in a generous mass so spending £££ on 25 seeds is not really my cup of tea...unless seeds can be collected for future sowing.I would like to grow a coupla hundred so I can guiltlessly pick for a vase (or 2).

It is very rare indeed, that I buy seeds. Since saving my own, germination rates of everything doubled and I can also collect abundant amounts. Hardy geraniums, for example, are sold in packets of 8-10 seeds whereas I can collect many dozens using brown paper bags and patience.

Since I generally prefer the simple species and avoid sterile hybrids, seed collecting was a revelation to me.

I've seen the native species in habitat and it's glorious. Considering this was near Houston, TX, and July, it's HOT and DRY...could hardly believe these beautiful flowers were growing in a pasture.

Growing them intentionally, well not so lucky. I got some seeds last fall and planted them in earliest spring in the windowsill, but did not get any germination.

I did do some inquiry last fall and while their native range goes up into Nebraska, it seemed unlikely that they could be in bloom in July/August in Nebraska with that short growing season. It seems to me, they must adapt a biennial strategy in colder climates, but no one really know....

Yep, dbarron - it would appear that the best strategy for growing them in the UK is to treat as though they are biennial. A summer sowing to grow the first leaves and substantial root system, overwintering for a July/August flowering. My goodness, I would love to see these plants in their habitat. The simple, tall prairie gentians are much, much more to my liking than the florid and squat doubles and fancy picotees. Platycodons are also to be seen here in the UK, but again, these are diminished little dwarfish things, rather than the tall and elegant species.

Dbarron, you should be able to grow these from seed and they would bloom in the first year. These are annuals, not bieannials, like foxglove.