In late spring when I was picking up a couple of “emergency” plants at the garden center, I saw some lisianthus for sale. I couldn’t resist adding a couple of these annuals to my yard. The pretty flowers have multiple petals like roses.
‘Mariachi Carmine’ was named the Cut Flower of the Year for 2011 by the Association of Cut Flower Growers. My plants started blooming just as the hottest days of summer arrived. Had I known then that they were such a good cut flower, I would have rescued them from the heat and enjoyed them in a vase instead.
‘Mariachi Carmine’ is supposed to have deep pink flowers that can appear almost red; however, some people report lighter-colored flowers based on growing or environmental conditions. Considering it was in the triple digits when my plants started blooming, I’m just thankful they didn’t burst into flames.
‘Mariachi Carmine’ can grow as tall as 24 to 36 inches. I grew four plants and none of them got any taller than 18 inches.