Lisianthus Plant Profile

 

Lisianthus Plant Profile

Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) is an annual cut flower plant with blooms that are typically pink, blue, purple, or white. Single forms resemble tulips, while double forms look like roses.

   Lisianthus is also known as Eustoma, Prairie Gentian, Tulip Gentian, or Texas Bluebell.

   Lisianthus will bloom starting in summer into fall.

      Lisianthus sold at garden centers are typically potted, dwarf variations, so they don’t get too leggy and flop before they bloom.

   Because they can be difficult to start from seeds, most cut-flower growers buy started plugs to grow them out Some growers disbud* the first two flowers on Lisianthus to allow the plant to develop more fully.

   Lisianthus can be planted in the garden in early April as they can tolerate a light frost.

  They prefer to grown in full sunlight in well-draining soils. They do well planted in combinations with Zinnias.

   It is hardy to USDA Zones 8 to 10.

   Lisianthus is native to the Mexico and the Great Plains of the United States.  Lisianthus can sometimes be confused with the separate species that has the Latin name Lisianthius, which is found in the Caribbean and Central America, but there is no visual similarity between the two plants.

   They can grow anywhere from 20 to 30 inches tall in the garden, so they need to be supported. Most cut-flower growers use a horizontal netting typically strung about a foot high above the plants.

   Lisianthus can also benefit from a 10-10-10 dry fertilizer

Lisianthus: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Audio, video, and text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Koree Perry

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Bronze Fennel Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/07/bronze-fennel-plant-profile.html

~ Gentian Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/10/gentian-plant-profile.html

~ Larkspur Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2026/06/larkspur-plant-profile.html

 

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Tomato Taste 2026: Washington Gardener Magazine's 16th Annual Tomato Tasting at the Silver Spring FreshFarm Market

It’s ‘Green Zebra’ vs. ‘Sun Gold,' heirloom versus hybrid, the tomato wars have just begun. Everyone is sure that their tomato pick is the tastiest. Join Washington Gardener Magazine at the FreshFarm Market in downtown Silver Spring, MD, on Saturday, August 22 from 10am-12noon for a Tomato Tasting. Best of all, this event is FREE!

   Chef Peter Andros of Gourmet & Gourmand will join us to share tomato recipes and tastings.

   Farmers at the market will contribute their locally grown selections — from super-sweet ‘Sungold’ to not-so-pretty ‘Cherokee Purple’ — and we’ll explore which tomatoes make the short list of favorites. We’ll have tomato gardening tips, tomato recipes, tomato activities for kids, and much more. All to celebrate one of summer’s greatest indulgences — the juicy fresh tomato.

   Tip: Your tomato taste voting ballot is also your entry into our prize drawing for a basket full of gardening goodies. The drawing is at 12:00noon sharp, so be sure to fully fill out your ballot by 11:45am and then stick around for the prize announcement as you must be present to win!

Monday Thoughts: “Take time to sit. Put a bench in the garden, and just think. Slow your mind and let the garden speak to you, rather than always trying to manipulate it.” ~ Ellen Ecker Ogden

“Take time to sit. Put a bench in the garden, and just think. Slow your mind and let the garden speak to you, rather than always trying to manipulate it.” ~ Ellen Ecker Ogden

GardenDC Podcast Episode 297: How to Photograph Your Garden

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with photographer Becca Mathias about capturing better images of our home gardens. The plant profile is on Lemongrass and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "How to Zoodle Your Zucchinis" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 238: Flower Photography Tips

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-238-flower.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 202: Documenting Gardens

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-202.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 17: Garden Photography

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-17-garden.html

Show Notes will be posted after 8/15/2026.

This episode is archived at: 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/06SQ27dJCtegDrJ9K8Cie5?si=wiHjkJxFQF-z8dWsgjSG4A

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
• Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc
• RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/gardendc-G2ql5V
• iHeartRADIO: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-gardendc-73615877/
  
• aCast: https://play.acast.com/s/gardendc
  
• Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/776561ca-75d6-4c63-833b-7dafedf57a72/GardenDC
• Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/GardenDC-Podcast/B08JJNZBMX
• Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/gardendc
  
• Bullhorn https://www.bullhorn.fm/gardendc
• Chartable: https://link.chtbl.com/GardenDC
• Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/GardenDC-id2691161?country=us
• Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/5587897
• GoodPods: https://goodpods.app.link/u3gtlpybILb
• Headliner: https://play.headliner.app/podcast/37086
• Himalaya: https://www.himalaya.com/courses/gardendc-1747568
• Ivy: https://ivy.fm/podcast/gardendc-940013
• Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/VIfcBjWRnw6
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/gardendc/
• PocketCasts: https://pca.st/9phvd8bk
• Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/2629285
• Podfollow: https://podfollow.com/GardenDC
• Podlink: https://pod.link/GardenDC
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gardendc-1137444
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1502631179/gardendc
  
• Reason: https://reason.fm/podcast/gardendc
• TuneIn: http://tun.in/pj7Sb
• Vurbl: https://vurbl.com/station/gardendc/
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Fenton Friday: Okra for Days...

This week we got another decent rain storm of almost an inch. For most of the time, it has been very breezey and not stiflingly hot.

The BAD NEWS is that some jerk broke off the metal sign I purchased for the Pollinator Garden Strip and stole an entire Marigold plant. (This could be two different jerks, but I doubt it.) Of course, they took the special Marigold that I was sent to trial by a plant breeder, not the ones on the other end of the strip that are regular old Marigolds.

The GOOD NEWS is we have Okra and lots of it! (See photo above.) BTW, if you are not an Okra fan or an unfamiliar with growing it. See here and here.

The Squash vines have several fruits forming and one looks very close to picking. With the Montgomery County Fair just a few weeks away, I'm hoping we have some nice specimens ready to enter by then.

The rest of the plot is coming along well including the Eggplants, Beans, Peppers, Cucamelons, and Tomatoes. I cut more bouquets of Dahlias, Gomphrena, and Lisianthus.

We weeded and watered. We thinned out the Zinnia seedlings to give the reamaining plants more space to grow and flower. I pinched back the flowers on all the Basil plants to encourage them to become fuller. 

When I was weeding near the back corner of the plot, I pulled out a tiny Carrot by accident. I assume it self-sowed from plants that were in there last spring or fall.

I still need to clear out the last of the Dill stems to plant more Beans. 

What are you growing and harvesting in your garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 15th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).

Lantana Plant Profile

Lantana Plant Profile

Lantana (Lantana spp.) is a spreading annual plant that is covered in brightly colored flowers in yellow, orange, white, red, pink, or purple.

It is native to Central and South America. It is in the Verbena family.

Lantana can survive a light frost, but the plant will die if the temperature goes below 28ºF or stays cold for a long time. It is a hardy perennial when grown in USDA zones 8-11 and it can be invasive in some areas, including Florida, Arizona, and Hawaii.

It requires full sun and well-draining soils. Feed it with a slow-release balanced fertilizer monthly, especially if it is grown in a container.

Deadhead spent blooms on Lantana to encourage future flowers on bushier branches.

Use insecticidal soap to eliminate pests such as aphids, lace bugs, mealy bugs, whiteflies, and spider mites.

Lantana is deer- and rabbit-resistant. It is also extremely heat-tolerant.

The flower's nectar attracts several species of bees and butterflies, including the spicebush swallowtail.

Lantana can be propagated from seed or stem cuttings.

Lantana: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Video, Photos, Audio, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Koree Perry

 

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

 

If you like this video, we think you will enjoy:

~ Brazilian Verbena Plant Profile

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/10/brazilian-verbena-plant-profile.html

~ Borage Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/07/borage-plant-profile.html

~ Stokesia Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/08/stokesia-plant-profile.html

 PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Organic Rose Talk hosted by the US Botanic Garden Now Available on YouTube

From the US Botanic Garden:

Join Kathy Jentz, host of the award-winning GardenDC Podcast, for a practical and engaging conversation around growing beautiful, resilient roses. From pruning and maintenance to common challenges, Kathy shares her personal organic approach to rose care along with her favorite disease-resistant varieties that thrive in our region. This program is connected to our current display “America’s State Flowers: An America250 Celebration.” Roses are the state flower for multiple states -- Iowa, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Washington, D.C. This program was recorded May 29, 2026. Find upcoming programs at www.USBG.gov/Programs

Monday Thoughts: “Gardening is an active participation in the deepest mysteries of the universe.” ~ Thomas Berry

“Gardening is an active participation in the deepest mysteries of the universe.”

 ~ Thomas Berry

GardenDC Podcast Episode 296: Flinging through Gilded Age Estates and Buffalo Gardens

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Jana Milbocker, about Gilded Age Gardens and the Buffalo Fling. The plant profile is on Wild Petunia and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "When to Pick Bell Peppers" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

View our album of Buffalo Fling photos at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1690104923121515&type=3

Visit Garden Walk Buffalo at https://www.gardensbuffaloniagara.com/garden-walk-buffalo

Jana's books:

~ Gardens of the Gilded Age*

~ The Garden Tourist: 120 Destination Gardens and Nurseries in the Northeast*

~ The Garden Tourist's Mid-Atlantic: A Guide to 90 Beautiful and Historic Public Gardens*

*Amazon affiliate link

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 167: Flinging with the Garden Tourist

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-167-flinging.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 32: Garden Tours - Europe and Beyond

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/10/gardendc-podcast-episode-32-garden.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 146: Spring Color Inspiration at Longwood

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-146-spring.html

Show Notes will be posted after 8/8/2026.

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/224Zh07b6Rukb414Tu2G12?si=dIveTPtgQiWbED3PrQrW9w

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
• Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc
• RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/gardendc-G2ql5V
• iHeartRADIO: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-gardendc-73615877/
  
• aCast: https://play.acast.com/s/gardendc
  
• Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/776561ca-75d6-4c63-833b-7dafedf57a72/GardenDC
• Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/GardenDC-Podcast/B08JJNZBMX
• Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/gardendc
  
• Bullhorn https://www.bullhorn.fm/gardendc
• Chartable: https://link.chtbl.com/GardenDC
• Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/GardenDC-id2691161?country=us
• Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/5587897
• GoodPods: https://goodpods.app.link/u3gtlpybILb
• Headliner: https://play.headliner.app/podcast/37086
• Himalaya: https://www.himalaya.com/courses/gardendc-1747568
• Ivy: https://ivy.fm/podcast/gardendc-940013
• Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/VIfcBjWRnw6
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/gardendc/
• PocketCasts: https://pca.st/9phvd8bk
• Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/2629285
• Podfollow: https://podfollow.com/GardenDC
• Podlink: https://pod.link/GardenDC
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gardendc-1137444
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1502631179/gardendc
  
• Reason: https://reason.fm/podcast/gardendc
• TuneIn: http://tun.in/pj7Sb
• Vurbl: https://vurbl.com/station/gardendc/
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

*You can order Jana's book at https://amzn.to/4wTL0q8
This link is to our Amazon affiliate account and we may earn a few pennies from these sales, 

but it wil not impact your purchase price.