Salpiglossis 'Cafe Au Lait' - 25 SEEDS

Salpiglossis sinuata 'Cafe au Lait'

Commonly known as 'Painted Tongue', Salpiglossis is native to Chile and Argentina. A relative of Petunia, Salpiglosses makes an excellent cut flower, offering unique trumpet-shaped blooms in clusters with intricate patterns, veining and colouring that make a spectacular and original addition to a bouquet. 

Salpiglossis is a 'cool' flower, and will make a unique and beautiful additional to your hardy annual flower collection. If you are in a cool climate you can grow it through Summer, if you are in a humid warmer climate it is recommended to grow it as a Spring annual.

'Cafe Au Lait' blooms in a range of coffee tones, from bronze to caramel to milky chocolate with deep purple veining and a golden centre. Perfectly blending into Pantone Colour of the Year 2025 'Mocha Mousse', Sapliglossis 'Cafe Au Lait' forms part of a new colourway bringing beauty and comfort to the vase and our lives.

This seed comes as a pellet. Pelleted seeds are small seeds that have been clay-coated to make them larger and more uniform in size and shape, making them easier to handle when planting.

I am growing cut-flower Salpiglossis this season for the first time alongside you, so I will provide growing instructions below and a whole lot of fantastic references to help you (and me!) on our Salpiglossis journeys. I highly recommend deep diving into the resources below, both for more images and growing tips. It is such a beautiful world to fall into! The growing instructions and descriptions come from an amalgamation of my research. I will add Australia-specific content as I grow them and can share my experiences with you. For now, as I have been able to access these seeds through my wholesale sources, I am able to share these hard-to-find (if at all) seeds with my fellow Australian gardeners and growers.

Please note - stems can be slightly sticky when harvesting so wear gloves.

Image credit: TAKII Europe

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS

These seeds are supplied in pellet form (i.e. with a coating) as the seeds are so tiny.

SOW: 8 weeks before last frost (half-hardy - likes cool temps but does not like frost)

DEPTH: 2mm

SPACING: 10-30cm (closer planting means longer stems for cut flower use)

ASPECT: Full sun, preferably with some afternoon shade in extreme heat (grow as a Spring annual if in a hot humid climate)

HEIGHT: 60cm+

NETTING: Required

PINCH: Yes to encourage branching (cut back in high heat of Summer and it may rebloom in Autumn)

BLOOM: Late Spring - early Autumn

MAINTENANCE: Feed regularly, deadhead to encourage continued flowering

HARVEST: When the first couple of blooms are open, the remainder will open in the vase

VASE LIFE: 5-7 days if harvested early (once blooms are pollinated, vase life decreases dramatically)

https://library.floretflowers.com/products/painted-tongue

https://www.threeacrefarm.net/blog/2025/1/13/how-to-grow-salpiglossis

https://savvygardening.com/salpiglossis/

https://www.growveg.com.au/plants/australia-and-nz/how-to-grow-salpiglossis/

Please store your seeds in a cool, dark and dry location until ready for planting.

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