PlantFiles: Painted Tongue
Salpiglossis sinuata 'Kew Blue'

This was the showpiece of my garden last year. I planted it with Forget-me-nots, Siberian Blue Pinks, Yellow snaps, Sublime Larkspur and Heliotrope, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The first flush of blooms was so heavy I had to stake it, and I had blooms all summer long - even though they were a bit smaller and less numerous. I have heard it fades in the heat, but we had a cool summer. The color is a deep, velvety indigo with midnight blue veining... perhaps a touch of purple. The first blooms were about 2-1/2 to 3 inches across.

It came true from seeds collected last year as well, but I have no other colors for it to mix with. So far I have good germination, not only with last year's seed but with the seed I collected last fall.

I used an APS to germinate, kept in darkness until the seeds started to sprout.