Nierembergia 'Summer Splash Light Blue'

Allow us to re-introduce you to Nierembergia—this great plant has been around for a long time but is often overlooked. It’s known as a cupflower and it should be—it has cup-shaped flowers. Typically, it is seed-grown, but the breeders have been busy. ‘Summer Splash’ is a vegetative offering and the genetics really shine through on this cultivar.

‘Summer Splash Light Blue’ forms a nice carpet of quarter-sized light blue blooms all summer. Immediately there are two improvements over the seed varieties: size and performance. In the past, penny-sized blooms would come and go in waves; now this cultivar does a much better job with color coverage.

Plant Nierembergia as a flowering groundcover in full sun, massed in large patches or beds—it will cascade well over rocks and walls that it comes across. Add some taller, thicker selections like Echinacea or Rudbeckia to the bed for even more drama.

‘Summer Splash Light Blue’ is more vigorous in its growth as well. Earlier varieties were pretty low, but this one reaches up to 20-inches tall with a spread of about 24-inches per plant. The growth rate is fast, so it can fill in large areas quickly with fewer plants than before. Once established, it exhibits good heat tolerance but it does need regular watering.

In containers, it’s a little tricky to coax ‘Summer Splash Light Blue’ into a single specimen. When grown alone, the plant has an open habit that is willowy and wispy. That delicate look takes some skill to shape but works nicely as elegant filler for baskets and planters. Since it doesn’t pack in the center with too much greenery, other plants can share the space with comfort.