Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Summer Snapdragon

Group/Class:  Actors Series

Description:

A wonderful heat loving, compact variety with excellent performance in combination planters, borders and landscapes; beautiful lavender-blue flower spikes rise above narrow, glossy green foliage; wonderful addition to fresh cut arrangements

Ornamental Features

Actors Lavender Blue Angelonia has masses of beautiful spikes of lavender pea-like flowers with sky blue overtones rising above the foliage from late spring to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its small glossy narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Actors Lavender Blue Angelonia is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Actors Lavender Blue Angelonia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Actors Lavender Blue Angelonia will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Actors Lavender Blue Angelonia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.