James H. Schutte
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Botanical Name
DIASCIA 'Heccharm'(LITTLE CHARMER) PPAF
Plant Common Name
Little Charmer™ Twinspur, Twinspur
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
The variably colored Little Charmer twinspur ('Heccharm') has a low, spreading habit and rounder-petaled light pink to lavender to rose flowers. This popular hybrid bedding plant is commonly grown as an annual but survives as an evergreen perennial where hardy.
This fine, herbaceous plant has wiry stems and small heart-shaped leaves. Its delicate, colorful flowers appear all season. Each small bloom is tubular with a prominent lip and two rear spurs, or nectaries, which hold nectar for bees and butterflies. Hummingbirds have even been known to visit them.
Grow twinspur in full to partial sun and porous, friable, humus-rich soil with an acid to neutral pH. It performs best where summers are cooler and needs constant moisture when grown in containers, particularly if placed in exposed sites. In very hot months flowering may cease but will resume when temperature cool in fall autumn. Trim back plants after blooming wanes to encourage fresh growth and heavy flowering.
Twinspurs are small and tend to trail, so they are ideal for pots, hanging baskets, window boxes or border edges. Treat them as a cool-season annual plant where tender or where summers are hot and winters mild.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
8 - 9
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Sunset Zone
H1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Tender Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
7"-10" / 17.8cm - 25.4cm
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Width
12"-18" / 30.5cm - 45.7cm
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Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
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Native To
Hybrid Origin
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
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Self-Sowing
Yes
