Growing Torenia (Wishbone Flower): A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 20, 2026
Torenia earns its square by doing something most annuals cannot: flowering in shade, in July, without stopping.
Shade is the point
NC State Extension lists it from deep shade through partial shade and notes it prefers part sun to shade, especially in hot summer climates. Full sun in a hot region scorches it. This puts it alongside impatiens and begonia as an option for a square that never gets six hours of light.
Where the name comes from
Look inside a flower and the two stamens arch together and meet, forming a shape like a wishbone. It is a small detail and it is the only reason the common name makes sense.
Sizes and sowing
Six to eighteen inches tall and six to eight inches wide, flowering summer and fall. Four to the square foot gives a solid block.
Seed is fine and needs light, so surface sow it about ten weeks before the last frost and set plants out two weeks after. It will not tolerate cold soil.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Torenia fournieri.
Companion planting guide for Torenia (Wishbone Flower) · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 3-11. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. Torenia (Wishbone Flower) needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Torenia (Wishbone Flower) plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 4 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1.5 ft.
Where to buy torenia seeds
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing torenia (wishbone flower)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Torenia (Wishbone Flower): One of the few annuals that keeps flowering in shade through high summer, when impatiens and begonia are the only other real options.
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