Salpiglossis

( sal - pig - LOSS - iss )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly called Painted Tongue, this annual flowering plant needs full sun and regular water to perform well in the landscape. The stems and leaves are sticky on this South American plant. They grow to 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide at maturity. Blooms can be mahogany, red, reddish-orange, yellow, purple, deep blue, or pink and are present in late spring to early summer. They are great when used as cut flowers. A choice selection is 'Kew Blue' with a deep purple throat, and other commonly grown strains include 'Bolero' (to 2 feet tall), 'Royale' (to 12-16 inches tall) and 'Stained Glass' (to 18 inches tall). The genus Salpiglossis includes three species and is a member of the plant family Solanaceae, making them related to plants in Petunia, Solanum and Capsicum. Painted Tongue grows well in USDA hardiness zones 2-11 or Sunset growing zones 1-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Caring for Salpiglossis

Salpiglossis is typically grown from seed, though it may be available from nurseries from time to time. They are typically planted in groups, and seeds can be sown indoors in trays in late winter or early springtime. Place several seeds in a pot, and store it in a warm, sunny place, and once seedlings sprout, thin to one per pot. Once the last frost of your area has passed, you can plant the seedlings outdoors. Painted Tongue performs best in rich, well-draining soil with a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). 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. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, these plants are considered to be somewhat drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone for most of the growing season with supplemental irrigations needed during extended periods of dry weather.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an 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. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and remove spent flower spikes to neaten up the appearance of plants and encourage reblooms. While plants are flowering actively, they should be deadheaded about once a week. Some taller varieties of Salpiglossis may require staking or netting to remain upright. When plants are young (about 4 inches tall), pinch the tips of stems to encourage a more branching habit to form. Salpiglossis is grown as an annual, pulled at the end of the growing season and replaced in the next.

Harvesting Salpiglossis
It is recommended to wear gloves while harvesting these cut flowers, as they are sticky to the touch. Salpiglossis, or Painted Tongue, are classic cut flower arrangement superstars, with their bright, large blooms. These flowers do not have much of a scent, but are valued for their brilliantly veined petals. They are ready for harvesting when 1 to 2 flowers on a stem are open and the rest of the buds show good color. Buds will continue to open in the vase. The best time to harvest is in the morning after dew has dried but before the heat of the day sets in. Use sharp, clean shear to cut stems at their base at a 45 degree angle, remove any leaves that will be below the water line, and then drop them into a bucket of cool, clean water. They can last between 5 and 7 days in a vase.

Propagation

Salpiglossis, or Painted Tongue, plants are typically grown from seed. They are annuals, and will freely re-seed in the garden if allowed to mature.

Propagating Salpiglossis 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. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds at the end of summer or beginning of fall. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. The seed heads form an oval, two-celled capsule that sits inside the old flower calyx as the vibrant petals drop off. It will turn brown and become dry and brittle as it matures. Each seed capsule can hold a massive quantity of extremely tiny, dust-like black seeds. Because seeds are so small, it is recommended to harvest capsules and place them in a container, and then bring them into a sheltered space to process them.
Get your container prepared. 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 between 14 and 30 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 65 and 72 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.