Eustoma Russelianum (Texas Bluebell)

By Keith Markensen

Beautiful blue Gentian, as they are commonly called Texas. Texans know them better by Texas Bluebell or Spanish Bluebells, as they were brought to Texas in the 17th century by a Spanish maiden and planted in the southern part of Texas, from which they have scattered ‘way beyond its borders. Bluebell, a lovely blue or purplish five-lobed bell-shaped flower, later opening wide, about two inches across. In Texas in their native habitat they grow in any locality with sleepy, flat ground containing some salt content. The foliage is a beautiful gray-greed;)opposite leaves, ovate to oblong to three inches, partly folding. Eustoma are biennials and grow from one foot to three feet, depending on location, food, and water. They grow in full sun in the wild, but where there is constant moisture, in ditches or other places. To see them by the acre as I have many times is positively breath-taking. They have a very long tap root, therefore are very difficult to dig and bring in from their native haunts. It is easy to grow them from seeds if the seeds are fully matured on the plant. Small plants transplant much better than the large ones. I have several hundred in my garden now which I have grown from seeds.

I take a coffee can or a pan and punch a number of holes in the bottom, put some gravel in the bottom of the can, then an inch of coarse sand, fill the can with heavy soil (which helps keep the small plants from falling apart in transplanting). Press the soil down firmly and scatter the seed very thinly on top of soil. Press in but do not cover; set the can in a container so you can keep water in it at all times, as this is most important in getting them to germinate. They should be up in a week if cared for properly. Cover the can with a piece of glass and when the plants are up, put something – in between the glass and the pan for air. When you think they are all up, take the glass off, and be sure to put a screen of some kind over the top, as the birds get curious and eat them.

When two weeks old; put in the water container some well balanced plant food. I can’t say how much, as that depends: on the size of your container and the number of plants. Do this every two weeks. When plants have several leaves and are crowding, it’s time to take them up in little bunches and put them (about six plants or less) in two or three-inch pots. Set these pots in pans of water as in the first procedure; when these little clumps seem to be crowling, take off one pot at a time and put it in a container of water to soften the soil to avoid root injury. Untangle these very gently and put them back in the small pots, only one plant to a pot this time. Set these in containers of water; never let dry out, as this stunts them. In dry weather I fill the containers at least twice a day, often more.

When the plants seem to be covering the pot well it’s time to put them in the ground. Always have the pots soaking wet when putting into the ground. Then you won’t tear the roots, which is important to their growth. June-planted seeds should be ready for the garden by the middle of October and should bloom for you the following June.

Water well during winter to avoid damage from cold. They are very hardy, but must have water and food just like any other flower to get the best they have to offer. If the blossoms or seed pods are kept cu! off, Eustoma will bloom until frost. Please tell me what other lovely blue flower, will give four or five months of blooms? Try some and you will wish you had long ago.

Keith Markensen with years of experience in growing plants freely offers tips, advice and helpful resources on topics like bluebells. Take in the variety of subjects at – save time and money when searching the web for indoor plants, landscaping, lawns and patio.

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Tags: garden, Gardening, Home Improvement, plant care

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