A floral gem for the lavishly blooming summer garden causes a sensation among hobby gardeners. If you are enthusiastic about cultivating opulent rarities in the bed and on the balcony, you cannot avoid Angelonia angustifolia. Its majestic spikes of flowers, covered with large lamiform flowers, adorn the garden non-stop from May to October. Let yourself be carried away into the colorful world of varieties of an annual flower that enchants us with its stiffly upright and bushy clumpy habit. Read here how you can take care of this tropical flower and how you can successfully overwinter it.
Characteristics
- Plant order of the mint family (Lamiales)
- Most popular species within the Angelonia genus
- Scientific name: Angelonia angustifolia
- Native to Central and South America, Mexico and South Africa
- Herbaceous annual flower
- Growth height: 30-50 cm
- Growth width: 10-30 cm
- Flowering time from May to October or until the first frost
- Minimum temperature: 1 degree Celsius
The summer flower is so rarely represented in German hobby gardens that there is still a lack of common trivial names. In America, the plant is known as summer snapdragon, based on the shape of the flowers. The plant can be found under the name Angel Face at the few specialist dealers who carry pre-grown varieties.
Beautiful varieties
Native to Central and South America, Angelonia angustifolia is widespread across the Atlantic. Some of the most beautiful varieties have now found their way to us. The following selection introduces you to the most magnificent varieties for your summer garden:
Serena Lavender
The magnificent hybrid is staged with pink labial flowers. With its taut, upright silhouette, the plant exudes elegance and grace. The long-stemmed flower stalks are ideal for decorating vases.
- Growth height 30-40 cm
- Growth width 10-30 cm
Carita Purple
The premium variety impresses with violet spikes of flowers from May to October. Densely packed, the labial flowers almost completely cover the lanceolate foliage with entire margins. It stretches a little higher towards the sky than its conspecifics. In terms of beauty, this Angelonia angustifolia undoubtedly plays in the league of magnificent classics in perennial beds, such as the related foxglove.
- Growth height 40-50 cm
- Growth width 20-30 cm
Serena Sky blue
Planted extensively, this Angelonia angustifolia with light blue flowers acts as a reflection of the sky. As a solitaire or in a small group, the flower in the pot adorns the summer balcony without a break from May to October.
- Growth height 40-50 cm
- Growth width 20-30 cm
Serena White
With pure white flowers, Serena White harmonises impressively with its violet or blue counterparts. Combine the hybrids yourself or look out for the ‘Waterfall’ mix in specialist shops to create a charging carpet of flowers.
- Growth height 40-50 cm
- Growth width 20-30 cm
Serenita Pink Angelonia
So that gardeners with limited space do not have to do without the beauty of an Angelonia angustifolia, breeders brought out short-growing varieties. This Serenita comes up with pink flowers that also spread an enchanting flair in the bucket.
- Growth height 30-35 cm
- Growth width: 10-25 cm
Serenita White Angelonia White
flowering summer flowers are indispensable in creative garden design. Breeds such as Serenita White underline the color intensity of their colorful plant neighbors and at the same time bring calm to the creative garden picture. Thanks to its compact stature, this variety fulfills the tasks set even in a small garden.
- Growth height 30-35 cm
- Growth width 10-25 cm
Serenita Purple Angelonia
Carita Purple’s little sister is in no way inferior in terms of color intensity and abundance of flowers. Wherever purple flower accents are desired in a sunny location, the busy summer flower is there from May and lasts until October.
- Growth height 30-35 cm
- Growth width 10-25 cm
maintenance
The focus of professional cultivation is the choice of location and a high level of water and nutrients, taking into account the slightly acidic pH value of 5.5 to 6.5. Further maintenance measures follow. A cut is not absolutely necessary, but recommended. In the following we examine all relevant measures in detail:
location and soil conditions
Its unbridled vigour, combined with a lush bloom requires a sun-drenched location. A warm, sheltered location is advantageous so that the wind does not ruffle the flower candles. Therefore, choose the place in the bed and on the balcony according to the following criteria:
- Sunny to shady position
- Warm, protected from wind and rain
- Loose, humus rich and well-drained soil
- Fresh-moist, sandy-loamy to gravelly-loamy
- A slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5
Partial shade is tolerated by an Angelonia, but results in a visibly reduced bloom. It should be at least 6 hours of sun a day. The south-facing balcony or the terrace on the south side of the house are therefore shortlisted for pot culture.
watering and fertilizing
Keep the substrate of an Angelonia angustifolia constantly moist. Water whenever the surface of the soil has dried. Avoid overhead watering, instead pour the water directly onto the root disc with the spout of a watering can in the early morning or in the evening hours. Allow the water to hit the substrate slowly and not in a sudden gush. It is beneficial for vitality if you only use collected rain or decalcified tap water. If the irrigation water is too hard, the lime content in the soil will increase, causing the otherwise robust summer flower to react with leaf chlorosis. If you care for the summer flower in the pot, the excess irrigation water collected in the saucer is poured out after 10-15 minutes to prevent waterlogging.
A look at the lushly blooming Angelonia leaves little doubt that the summer flowering power cannot be achieved without a supplementary supply of nutrients. Therefore, fertilize the plant as follows:
- Apply leaf or needle compost with horn shavings to the bed every 2 weeks from May until the end of the flowering period
- In addition, water with potassium-rich comfrey manure every two weeks
- Treat potted flowers weekly from May to October with a liquid fertilizer rich in nitrogen and potassium
Always apply fertilizer to soil previously moistened with clear water and then water generously.
To cut
Regularly cut off withered blossom candles, pave the way for fresh shoots to bloom again. At the same time, the summer flower retains its well-groomed appearance and does not spread uncontrollably. In the autumn, Angelonia angustifolia have shot their floral powder, at least in the bed, and are disposed of. If you want to sow yourself, leave the remains of the plant in the ground until late winter so that the seeds can disperse in peace.
Don’t be afraid to cut the most beautiful flower candles for the vase. The vigorous plant will close the gaps in no time with a fresh shoot. In late morning look out for bud sites that are close to full bloom to cut 2-3cm off the ground.
multiply
Sowing
Once the charming Angelonia has conquered gardeners’ hearts, nothing stands in the way of a renewed appearance on the summer garden stage. The low-work winter time is ideal for cultivation by sowing the next generation, especially since it is so uncomplicated to do by hand.
- Fill a seed tray or small pot with seed substrate or peat sand
- Scatter the fine seeds
- As a light germinator, simply press on and moisten with a fine shower
- Place in the heated indoor greenhouse in a bright, semi-shady place
- At a constant 22-24 degrees Celsius, germination begins within 4-5 days
If no indoor greenhouse is available, achieve the required humidity of 90-95 percent by putting a transparent plastic bag over the seed container.
Post-germination care
If the cotyledons break their way through the seed coat, reduce the temperature in the mini greenhouse to 18-20 degrees Celsius. The plastic hood has now done its job and is removed. Continue to keep the substrate moist without saturating it. Intermediate drying phases are now desirable and beneficial for further growth of the radicles. If a seedling has developed at least one other pair of leaves in addition to its cotyledons, it is transplanted into a single pot. Continue watering until mid-May as soon as the substrate surface has dried. The application of diluted liquid fertilizer and a sunny place on the warm window sill prepare the young plant for life in the open air.
hibernate
Mother Nature endowed Angelonia angustifolia with the potential of a perennial. It is the frosty winters that thwart this plan in our regions. While any attempt to hibernate outdoors is in vain, plants in pots and balcony boxes have good prospects of getting through the cold season in good health. How to do it right:
- Before the first frost, cut the flower close to the ground
- Carry the planter to a bright, frost-free winter quarters
- Do not set up at temperatures below 5 degrees or above 12 degrees Celsius
- Water occasionally to keep the root ball from drying out
- Don’t give fertilizer
In the middle/end of March, repot the overwintered plant in fresh substrate. Then gradually get the tropical grace used to higher temperatures and more sunlight. At the same time, increase the amount of irrigation water. When the ice saints say goodbye in mid-May, the summer flower takes its place on the balcony or terrace again. The nutrient supply in the pre-fertilized substrate lasts for the next 6 to 8 weeks, so that fertilizer is not applied until June.
Conclusion
The exotic Angelonia angustifolia is an excellent choice for ennobling the summery garden picture with a floral rarity. The annual summer flower boasts lavish clusters of blooms in enchanting shades of pink, purple, blue and white. Creatively combined with each other, the beauties transform the bed and the balcony into a charging sea of flowers that attracts everyone’s attention. How good that this tropical flower spectacle is so easy to care for. In the sunny location in humus-loose and fresh-moist soil, regular watering with soft water is of primary importance. Overwintering is possible in a frost-free, bright place at temperatures between 8 and 10 degrees. In view of the easy propagation by sowing, the effort is hardly worth it.
