Lisianthus
Eustoma grandiflorum
📖 About this plant
Often called the rose without thorns, lisianthus produces exquisite rose-like flowers in pink, purple, blue, white, and bicolor combinations. Each stem can bear multiple blooms that open sequentially over several weeks. The waxy, blue-green foliage provides a lovely backdrop to the paper-like petals. A favorite in the florist trade, the flowers can last 2-3 weeks in a vase, making them one of the longest-lasting cut flowers available.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6+ hrs)
Every 2-3 days
Moderate (50-65%)
18-26°C
Well-draining, slightly acidic potting mix (pH 6.5-7.0) with peat, perlite, and organic matter
Balanced liquid fertilizer (15-16-17 or 10-10-10) every 2 weeks during growing season; calcium supplementation recommended
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Southern United States — Texas, Nebraska, and northern Mexico; prairies and grasslands
- 📏 Max height
- 30-60 cm (garden varieties), 45-90 cm (cut flower cultivars)
- 📐 Spread
- 20-30 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer - Fall
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Pink, Purple, White
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Blue-Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to cats, dogs, and humans; considered safe
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seed sowing indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost (seeds are tiny and need light to germinate); does not divide well
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic to cats, dogs, and humans; considered safe
Common issues
- Botrytis gray mold, Root rot from overwatering, Aphids and thrips on flowers
💡 Care tips
- Rose-like flowers in pink purple and white last over 2 weeks in a vase,Slow to grow from seed taking 5-6 months to bloom,Requires excellent drainage and consistent moisture,Pinch back seedlings to encourage branching for more flowers
