Honeywort

Annual

Cerinthe major var. purpurascens

Honeywort

A quick, self-seeding hardy annual with blue-grey waxy foliage and nodding purple-blue tubular flowers.

  • Full sun
  • 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
  • 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
  • H3 · Zone 8
  • May–August
  • Deciduous

Overview

This easy hardy annual produces smooth, glaucous blue-green leaves flushed purple towards the shoot tips, with clusters of nodding, tubular purple-blue flowers from late spring into summer. Bees find it irresistible, and it self-seeds readily once established, making it a low-effort filler for borders, gravel gardens and containers.

At a Glance

Sun Full sun
Height 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
Spread 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
Hardiness H3 · Zone 8
Flowers May–August
Soil Chalk, Loam, Sand
Moisture Moist well drained
Habit Bushy, Sprawling
Water Low
Maintenance Easy
Cerinthe major var. purpurascens (Honeywort)
Cerinthe major var. purpurascens (Honeywort)

Growing Conditions

Min. Temperature -5°C (23°F)
pH Range 6–7.5
Fertility Average
Drainage Free Draining

Aspect Suitability

  • South-facing
  • West-facing

Site Tolerance

  • Wind
  • Coastal
  • Drought

Soil Tolerance

  • Chalk
  • Sandy
  • Loam
  • Neutral pH
  • Alkaline

Foliage

Cerinthe major var. purpurascens (Honeywort)
Cerinthe major var. purpurascens (Honeywort)
Persistence Deciduous
Colour Blue-green, Purple
Leaf shape / texture ovate_clasping

Foliage interest: April–August

Seasonal Timeline

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Flowering
Foliage
Fruiting
Propagate
  • Flowering May Jun Jul Aug
  • Foliage Apr May Jun Jul Aug
  • Fruiting Aug Sep
  • Propagate Mar Apr Sep

How to propagate

One way to grow more Honeywort: the usual steps for each method.

From seed Mar–Apr, Sep Easy

You'll need: Seed compost, a seed tray or small pots, labels, and a clear lid or plastic bag.

  1. Fill a tray or pots with seed compost, level it and firm it gently.
  2. Water the compost and let it drain.
  3. Sow the seeds thinly on top. Cover them with a fine layer of compost or vermiculite about as deep as the seed is big; leave tiny seeds uncovered.
  4. Label them, cover with a clear lid or bag, and keep them somewhere bright but out of hot sun.
  5. Keep the compost just moist, and take the cover off once seedlings appear.
How long
Usually comes up in 1 to 3 weeks.
It's worked when
Seedlings with their first pair of leaves.
Then
When each has its first true leaves, prick them out into their own small pots, holding them by a leaf, never the stem. Harden them off for a week or two before planting out.

Sow seed direct where it is to flower, or start under cover in early spring; it resents root disturbance so avoid transplanting large seedlings.

Maintenance Calendar

  • Mar Sow seed under cover or direct once soil has warmed
  • May Plant out or thin direct-sown seedlings
  • Jun Water young plants until established
  • Jul Leave flowers for bees and allow seed to set
  • Sep Pull up spent plants, leaving some seed to self-sow

Garden Design

Works well in: Cottage, Mediterranean, Modern / Contemporary, Wildlife-friendly

Let it self-seed through gravel or a sunny border; the waxy blue foliage and purple flowers pair well with tulips and euphorbias.

Companion planting: Tulips, Alliums, Euphorbias

Wildlife Value

  • Bees
  • Other pollinators
  • RHS Plants for Pollinators

Spreads or self-seeds freely: keep it in check.

Safety

No well-established major toxicity; ornamental plant not for eating.