Relatives of the "Angel's Trumpets" (Brugmansia), Iochromas are more refined with smaller leaves and brightly colored 1" to 3" tubular flowers that flare 1/2" to 1" wide at the tips, and come in large, densely flowered clusters.
Iochroma australe has small lilac blue pendant flowers produced in abundance throughout the summer months.
Similar to Iochroma 'Plum Beauty' but with an edge of white frosting to the large plum colored flowers.
Iochroma cyameum belongs to the plant family SOLANACEÆ and Genus Iochroma This Shrub prefers Well drained soil, a pH which can apply to most normal garden soil conditions,.
Iochroma cyameum is known to attract humming birds and other nectar feeding garden birds.
Iochroma cyameum is not known as a butterfly attracting plant
The "blue" was the iochroma, the gold a yellow jasmine that lasted only 10 years -- the iochroma crowded it out.
The iochroma, which had not yet lost its leaves (as some years it doesn't), "died" to the ground but came back vigorously that summer, as did the hummingbirds.
Some years in May, when every leaf has fallen from the iochroma during winter, my husband says anxiously that the plant must be dead.
The nightshade family, Solanaceae, contains a number of unique and interesting plants, but they usually have to make up in size, vigor, and drama what they lack in refinement.
Iochroma, on the other hand, seems to me a very classy plant indeed.
Not that it isn't vigorous, growing into a 10' shrub, but the flowers, while very striking, are not at all gaudy.
