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.
Mature height: 0.5-1.5 ft
Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. It needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.
When to plant torenia (wishbone flower), by zone
Every zone torenia (wishbone flower) grows in. Pick your zone in the header and it will be highlighted here. Each zone links to its full page.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a & 3b | Mar 21–Mar 28 | Jun 13–Jun 20 | Sep 1–Sep 8 |
| 4a & 4b | Mar 6–Mar 13 | May 29–Jun 5 | Aug 17–Aug 24 |
| 5a & 5b | Mar 1–Mar 8 | May 24–May 31 | Aug 12–Aug 19 |
| 6a & 6b | Feb 14–Feb 21 | May 9–May 16 | Jul 28–Aug 4 |
| 7a & 7b | Jan 30–Feb 6 | Apr 24–May 1 | Jul 13–Jul 20 |
| 8a & 8b | Jan 14–Jan 21 | Apr 8–Apr 15 | Jun 27–Jul 4 |
| 9a & 9b | Dec 7–Dec 14 | Mar 1–Mar 8 | May 20–May 27 |
| 10a & 10b | Nov 21–Nov 28 | Feb 13–Feb 20 | May 4–May 11 |
| 11a & 11b | Oct 23–Oct 30 | Jan 15–Jan 22 | Apr 5–Apr 12 |
Bloom dates are about 80 days after the sow or plant-out date, not after starting seeds indoors.
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.
Varieties worth considering
- Summery Love Pure White (F1): A 2022 All-America Selections winner, grown from seed: a compact 7 to 8 inch torenia with clean white flowers and no yellow throat. AAS judges found it better branched, more floriferous and more durable than the comparisons, and it bloomed through a long, wet, hot and humid season in sun or shade. (source)
Why each variety is listed comes from the source shown next to it. We haven't grown these ourselves yet, so treat this as a research-backed starting point, not a personal endorsement. The buy links are separate from those sources: they go to seed suppliers that sell that exact variety, and we may earn a commission on some of them.
Where to buy torenia seeds
True Leaf Market (each supplier's torenia seeds)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a clear consensus of positive, independent reviews, or ones we bought and use ourselves. Each item on our gear page says which.
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)
%3A%20One%20of%20the%20few%20annuals%20that%20keeps%20flowering%20in%20shade%20through%20high%20summer%2C%20when%20impatiens%20and%20begonia%20are%20the%20only%20other%20real%20options.)
Pin this for later
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.
Save to Pinterest