Herb of the Week:  Heliotrope (Heliotropeum arborescens)

by Barbara Smith

Herb of the Week:  Heliotrope (Heliotropeum arborescens)

In the BBG Display Garden fragrance bed, the herb Heliotrope looks beautiful and smells divine! A plant likely to have been found in our grandparents’ gardens, Heliotrope is seeing a resurgence in popularity. Its rich purple blossoms follow the sun; its name derives from the Greek “helios’ (meaning sun) and “tropos” (to turn). There are varieties which are white or pale lavender, too. Heliotrope’s fragrance is described by some as “vanilla” and by others as “cherry pie.”

The plants grow one to four feet tall, and one to two feet wide. It’s a summer and fall bloomer. In the BBG beds, Heliotrope is treated as an annual (although a perennial in zones 9-11). Heliotrope prefers full sun and moderate moisture, with its roots in fertile, well-drained soil. Keep the blooms deadheaded to encourage new growth. Heliotrope provides nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators. However, it is susceptible to powdery mildew, and it may attract aphids and spider mites. The pests can be treated with insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Heliotrope adapts well to container gardens, and it can be overwintered indoors. Keep the plant in a cool room with bright, indirect light, and return the plant outside when temperatures are consistently over 55 F.

In Thomas Jefferson’s Garden Book there is a list of seeds and plants that he sent to his grandson, Francis Eppes, in 1786, while Jefferson was serving as the Minister to France. On this list was Heliotrope, described as a “delicious flower” where the “. . . smell rewards the care.” Native to Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru, Heliotrope was a popular plant in Victorian England and often featured in cottage gardens. 

In anticipation of the winter season arriving, cleanup in the BBG Herb Display Garden and Production Garden (both near the Center House) began in earnest this week, to be finished next week. 

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE BBG KITCHENS? More, More, More!

The Herb Associates Kitchen Team have been busy preparing recipes with late-season produce. A batch of “Garlic Basil Vinaigrette” was made, as well as “Grape Rosemary Jelly,” which has a striking color and fragrance.  Lavender sachets and “Berkshire Memories” sachets (which feature dried lavender and lemon verbena) were made in voile bags.  Rose Geranium leaves were harvested to be infused for a future batch of jelly.

Do come to the Harvest Festival on October 7-8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and stop by the Herb Associates booth, in front of the Center House.  Meet some of the “Herbies” who tend the gardens and make the products!  Take home some of those products as tasty souvenirs of the event.  All proceeds benefit the Garden.

Finally, sign up for a class given by several Herb Associates! The class, "Add Spice to Your Life: Create an Herbal Delight" is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11, from 1 to 3 p.m..  Content will highlight dips and dressings made utilizing garden herbs as well as some “secrets” from the Herb Associates’ Kitchens.  All materials will be provided. The registration fee is $70 for members, $85 for non-members. Click the link to register.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Herb Associates began in 1957 and have been making and selling products for the benefit of BBG ever since. At BBG, the Herb Associates oversee a display garden and production garden, both located near the Center House. Members/volunteers meet every Tuesday morning during the late spring through mid-autumn each year, coinciding when the gardens themselves are open to the public. Members plant, weed and tend the gardens, as well as harvest and process the variety of herbs.