Sollya

This is an evergreen, tender, climbing plant that is found in Australia. It has thin, woody, twining stems that are covered with both narrow, lance-shaped to oblong leaves and divided leaves. Their pretty blue flowers are shaped like little bells, a half-inch long. They grow in pendent clusters throughout the summer. In the mild climates of the South, they may be cultivated outdoors as a vine or ground cover. Sollyas grow about 6 feet tall. They are good for growing in greenhouses that have a minimum winter temperature of 45 degrees. You can plant them in pots and train them to stakes, or you can place them in a prepared bed of soil to cover the wall or pillars of the greenhouse or conservatory.

Pot Cultivation

When they are grown in pots, repotting is done in March. Remove the plants from their pots and remove all the loose soil with a pointed stick, carefully. Replant them in slightly larger pots that are filled with equal parts of loam and peat with a liberal amount of sand added. Make the soil firm. If they are going in a bed of soil, dig a hole 30 inches deep. Place a layer of broken bricks or small stones in the bottom and fill the remainder of the hole with the compost described above. Spread the roots out well and make certain the compost is firm. Do not water the soil until it is fairly dry, after which it is watered well and kept moist for the rest of the summer. Less water is required throughout the winter months, but it shouldn't be dry for long periods of time. The air should be fairly humid all the time and you should sprits the leaves during the summer and on warmer winter days. Shading isn't required.

Propagation

Short side shoots or the tips of young shoots can be inserted in a propagating bed of sand and peat moss in the spring and summer. When they've formed roots, they are potted individually in 3-inch pots and later, into larger pots.