First recorded by Cupani, a Fransiscan monk in Palermo, Sicily, the flowers are a deep blue with a purple 'wing'. A grandiflora type it has smaller flowers than the Spencer types but it is sweeter smelling and has greater heat tolerance. A hardy annual, flowering the same year from a Spring sowing. Prefers a sunny position and well-drained soil.

How to Sow Seeds

Method: Sow 1.5cm deep in flowering position.
Thinning: Thin out to 20cm apart.
Growing notes: Train young plants up a fence or wall, or support with sticks or netting. Pick regularly to prolong flowering period.

Growing Needs

Position: Sunny position
Soil: Well-drained soil
Support: Train young plants up a fence or wall, or support with sticks or netting

Plant Characteristics

Plant type: Hardy annual