Native Plants
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Monday - March 09, 2009
From: North St Paul, MN
Region: Midwest
Topic: Propagation
Title: Will my Lisianthus survive the winter in Minnesota for another growing season?
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
Do you know if Lisianthus plants planted one year, will come back the next year? We bought 6 gorgeous healthy plants last summer from a MN grower. We enjoyed them all last Summer and are wondering if they will survive our winter for another growing season?ANSWER:
Lisianthus is one of several common names associated with this plant. It is also referred to as Prairie Gentian, Prairie Rose or Texas Bluebell. The scientific name is Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum (showy prairie gentian). The plants that are grown today are derived from an American wildflower that is native to the prairie from Colorado to Nebraska and down to Texas. The wild, native plant has blue flowers; however, commercial breeders have developed plants with larger blooms in a wide color palette. Our NPIN database describes Lisianthus as an annual, a biennial, or a perennial, depending on where the plant is grown. In the southern part of of its native range, it is a perennial. The survival of your plants is also largely dependent on how they were treated over the winter.
I'm going to refer you to a link where a grower describes his experiences with Lisianthus in Chicago.
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