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Planting and Growing Wishbone Flowers

Purple Torenia Fournieri Flowers, the bluewings or wishbone flower, is an annual plant in the Linderniaceae, with blue, white, or pink flowers that have yellow markings.
Image Credit:
Lin Mei Chin
Botanical Name
Torenia fournieri
Grown as
Tender Perennial
USDA Zones
9a
9b
10a
10b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun
Shade
Water Needs
High
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
Under 1 foot
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Blue
Purple
Red
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Long Blooming
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Flowers
Written By: Carol Connare Editor-in-Chief, The Old Farmer's Almanac

Bring vibrant color and a touch of whimsy to your garden with the wishbone flower! This easy-care annual thrives in shade or partial shade, boasting unique trumpet-shaped blooms and colorful foliage. Learn how to grow wishbone flower from seeds or transplants, and discover its surprising namesake feature.

Wishbone flower grows well in shade or semi-shade (even indoors) if adequate moisture is maintained; legginess is a clue that more light is needed. Note that most cultivars are intolerant of sun and high heat. (The greater the amount of light that a wishbone flower can receive and tolerate, the wider the choices available as companion plants in containers; growth habits should be compatible.) 

No bones about it: This plant makes wishes come true. Look closely at the trumpet-shaped flowers for the plant’s eponymous feature: A pair of stamens unite at the anthers in a way that resembles a wishbone, a part found in chickens, turkeys, and other birds.  

Wishbone flower’s color appears not only in its blooms—its foliage can turn red or bronze in unseasonably cold weather.

Close-up of beautiful purple Torenia fournieri or wishbone flowers in sunlight with a blurred background.

Planting

Purchasing wishbone flower or starting its seeds indoors 8 to 12 weeks before the last spring frost in a 70° to 75°F environment are options. For the latter, do not cover: Light aids germination, which can take 7 to 15 days.

Plant 1 to 2 weeks after the last spring frost date. Provide a well-draining medium; use a potting mix amended with organic matter (compost and/or aged manure). See our guide to using manure in the garden.

Growing

Place the wishbone flower where it will be in partial to full shade.

Water for consistent moisture, not saturation. Apply a balanced fertilizer every 2 weeks during the growing season.

Deadheading is not necessary; plants are self-cleaning.

Failure to bloom usually indicates too much shade and a need for sunlight. If trailing, avoid pinching, as this promotes bushy growth.

Pests and Problems

Diseases: powdery mildew, Pythium root and stem rot, viruses. 

Pests: aphids, whiteflies.

Types

  • ‘Moon’ series (Torenia fournieri): purple and yellow shades
  • ‘Panda’ series (T. fournieri): wide range of colorful flower hues; compact, 4 to 8 inches tall
  • ‘Summer Wave’ series (T. fournieri): tolerant of heat and drought; blue, rose, silver, and violet shades

Wit and Wisdom

  • The tradition of treasuring the furcula (“little fork” in Latin)—the forked bone found at the front of most birds’ breasts—dates from the Etruscans, members of an ancient Italian civilization. They believed poultry to be oracles and this bone the key to a bird’s prescience. After a bird died, they would dry the bone in the sun; later it could be picked up and rubbed by those who passed by in order to have wishes granted—hence, the “wishbone.” You can also predict the weather with a wishbone!
  • Also known as bluewings, Torenia fournieri is a perennial grown as an annual.
  • “Torenias hail from tropical portions of Asia and Africa and are named after Olof Toren (1718–53), who traveled in China as a chaplain for the Swedish East India Company in the middle of the 18th century,” explains Gerald Klingaman, a retired extension horticulturist at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
     

Flowers

About The Author

Carol Connare

Carol Connare

Editor-in-Chief, The Old Farmer's Almanac

Carol Connare is the 14th Editor-in-Chief in the history of The Old Farmer’s Almanac (founded in 1792!), and the second woman to hold the title.As editor, Carol leads a team of talented writers and ed...

Read more from Carol Connare

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Comments

<span>Jeanette Copeland</span> Thu, 09/05/2024 - 13:46
Please include the growing zones!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 09/05/2024 - 16:34

Wishbone Flowers are typically grown as annuals, they are hardy in Zones 10 and 11.