What is a Heliotrope?
Heliotrope is one of those words with several different meanings. It describes variously a small purple flower, a gemstone, a survey instrument, and a botanical phenomenon. Plants that face towards the sun throughout the day, such as sunflowers or shamrocks, are also called heliotropes. The phenomenon is referred to as a heliotropic effect. This term is also used to describe what occurs when individuals create and share positive, life-affirming images of their future. We naturally turn to these images just as sunflowers turn towards the sunlight. Our company name is inspired by this universal phenomenon and its uplifting symbolism. Thank you for visiting. We welcome feedback and inquiries.
Heliotrope is an aromatic shrub native to Peru. It is a favorite in old fashioned gardens, moon gardens, and cottage gardens, and it does well in a variety of temperate to tropical climates, although it is extremely frost tender. While heliotrope is sometimes treated as a rather old fashioned flower, many garden supply stores carry seedlings for gardeners who wish to plant them, and there are several different cultivars to choose from, for gardeners who want to play with new varieties. Classically, heliotrope has dark green foliage which is deeply crinkled, with lush dark purple flowers which grow in small clusters. The plant has a very strong aroma which is sometimes compared to vanilla, and the scent tends to come out more when the plant is stressed by heat and lack of water. Other cultivars may have white, pink, or pale purple flowers, and foliage which varies slightly in color and size. This shrub is treated as an annual in many more northern climates, because it cannot last throug
