Heterocentron
( het - er - oh - SENT - ron )
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At-A-Glance InformationAlso called Spanish Shawl, this flowering perennial needs partial shade to full sun and moderate to regular water. Formerly known as Schizocentron elegans, they are native to Mexico and Guatemala and gets 2-4 inches tall and 1.5 feet wide. Flowers bloom in summertime and are magenta, appearing amongst the low foliage. Great for groundcover and hanging baskets. These flowers are grown in zones 15-24 but will need frost protection in zones 15, 16 and 18-20. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Caring for Heterocentron
Heterocentron plants are best in partial shade but can also tolerate full sun and full shade conditions if necessary. They are commonly used as groundcovers or in raised beds or containers, and do best in soil that is well-draining, moderately fertile, and that has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0. If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Water newly planted Heterocentron regularly to help it develop a strong root system. At maturity, these plants are drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone with some supplemental waterings in the warmest months of the year.
Fertilize yearly in early springtime with a application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Prune in late wintertime to early springtime to remove dead or damaged branches and maintain a handsome plant shape. Thinning the interior of these plants can assist in improving air circulation, which lowers disease risk.
Fertilize yearly in early springtime with a application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Prune in late wintertime to early springtime to remove dead or damaged branches and maintain a handsome plant shape. Thinning the interior of these plants can assist in improving air circulation, which lowers disease risk.
Propagation
Heterocentron plants can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Spanish Shawl, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Heterocentron by Cutting
Propagating Heterocentron by Seed
Propagating Heterocentron by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost, and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in spring or fall (after the plant has entered dormancy and been cut to the ground, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every four to five years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:
Propagating Heterocentron by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) peat moss and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch softwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Heterocentron by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) peat moss and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed pods are pretty easy to spot, left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Propagating Heterocentron by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost, and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in spring or fall (after the plant has entered dormancy and been cut to the ground, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every four to five years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:
- Gather your materials. Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the roots. Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
- Start to tease apart the roots with your gloved fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section.
- Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water them in.
- Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout.
Problems and Pests
These plants rarely suffer from pest or disease issues, though they can have problems from time to time with the following in certain conditions:
- Snails and Slugs
Gallery
These plants are great low-growing fillers in mixed beds.
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They have the ability to trail over the sides of containers and raised planting beds.
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Many horticulturalists like to use these plants as low-maintenance groundcovers.
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Heterocentron can be grown either in pots or in the ground.
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Heterocentron spilling over a rock retaining wall.
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When looking at the flowers of these plants, it becomes clear that they are related to Princess Flowers.
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Videos
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 360, Heterocentron elegans
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