🎠Torenia
Torenia fournieri
The shade garden's clown-faced summer bloomer.
Sun
Part shade; morning sun only
Days to harvest
Blooms ~3 months from seed; transplants faster
Spacing
6–8 inches apart
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
How to grow
Set out transplants after nights stay warm — torenia sulks in cold soil. It's one of the few annuals that blooms gloriously in Florida's shady, steamy summer. Rich, moisture-holding soil keeps it happiest.
Water & feeding
Keep evenly moist; it wilts quickly in dry shade but bounces back with a drink.
Common problems
- Root rot in soggy, airless soil — amend with compost
- Slugs find the low foliage tasty
- Leggy in too much shade — it wants bright indirect light, not a cave
Harvest
Self-cleaning — no deadheading needed. Pinch once early for bushier plants.
Nerdy fact: Torenia's flower hides a wishbone-shaped pair of stamens inside — snap one open and you'll see it — which is how it earned the name wishbone flower.