Plant Library

Other Names:  Mexican Heather

Description:

A small, very dwarf variety with dainty lilac tubular flowers; grown as an annual in cooler climates; great for bedding, shrub borders, and containers in warm climates

Ornamental Features

Itsy Bitsy Lilac False Heather features dainty lilac purple tubular flowers along the branches from early summer to early fall. It has attractive green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Itsy Bitsy Lilac False Heather is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Itsy Bitsy Lilac False Heather is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Itsy Bitsy Lilac False Heather will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Itsy Bitsy Lilac False Heather makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.