Purple Tear Honeywort is a striking ornamental flower from the Boraginaceae family that brings exotic drama to gardens in zones 9 through 11. This cultivar of Cerinthe major produces distinctive purple-tinged flowers with an unusual teardrop shape that seems almost otherworldly among more conventional garden blooms. Growing 16 to 32 inches tall, it thrives in full sun with moderate water and tolerates frost, making it a surprisingly hardy choice for mild winter regions. The plant rewards gardeners who start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date with continuous blooms through the season when succession sown.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-11
32in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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The flowers of Purple Tear Honeywort live up to their name, with a distinctive teardrop silhouette that looks almost sculptural in the garden. It's surprisingly cold tolerant for a tender annual, surviving light frosts in zones 9 through 11 and rewarding early indoor sowing with weeks of blooms. Starting seeds indoors is recommended, and succession sowing every month keeps flowers appearing all season long.
Purple Tear Honeywort is grown primarily as an ornamental flower, valued for its unusual purple-tinged teardrop blooms that add textural interest and color depth to flower beds and borders. The distinctive flowers work well in cutting gardens, bringing an unexpected and sophisticated look to fresh arrangements.
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Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, which gives seedlings time to develop before transplanting outdoors. Maintain germination temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable sprouting.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off, spacing plants 12 inches apart in rows spaced 18 inches apart. Transplanting is recommended for best results.
You can sow seeds directly outdoors 2 to 4 weeks after your average last frost date if you prefer, though indoor starting gives better results.
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