Heliotrope: The Scent of Old-World Gardens

There was a time when every cottage garden and apothecary’s plot held a place of honor for heliotrope. Victorian parlors were perfumed with its sweet, vanilla-almond fragrance, and grandmothers whispered of its magic—how it turned with the sun, always reaching for the light.

A native of Peru, this wild form of Heliotropium arborescens grows 3–4 feet tall at maturity, its deep violet blooms drawing in pollinators and filling the air with their intoxicating scent. A tender perennial, it thrives in warm months and can be brought indoors for winter, making it a lasting treasure in any garden.

Plant it near a sunny doorway, in a window box, or beside your favorite garden bench. By dusk, when the evening air carries its perfume, you’ll understand why heliotrope was once known as the "flower of devotion"—a timeless symbol of love, memory, and the quiet magic of nature.