DESCRIPTION: This is an annual that can be grown in greenhouses for cut flowers or outdoors. This plant grows upright, 1 to 2 feet. Its fuzzy stems are clothed with finely divided leaves that grow 2 to 4 inches long. The flowers are produced in umbels, up to 3 inches across, at the ends of the stems; they may be colored medium to pale blue. Picking off the dead flowers will increase the blooms. This plant is a native of Australia.
POTTING: Trachymene needs a sunny spot and light, well-drained, moist soil. They should be planted 6 to 8 inches apart and the stems supported with thin sticks. They won't do well in very hot summers. When they are grown in a greenhouse, they should be planted in 5- or 6-inch pots or in benches, 6 to 8 inches apart. They will need plenty of fresh air all the time and full exposure to sun. Take care in watering until they are established in their final pots, when the soil must be kept moist.
PROPAGATION: Seeds may be started indoors 8 to 10 weeks before frost-free weather. The temperature should be 65 degrees and small pots should be filled with light soil. Plants can also remain in a greenhouse. Seeds may be sown outdoors where they are to grow when the soil is warm.
VARIETIES: T. caerulea.