Dark Honeywort (Cerinthe major `Purpurascense`) - Purple Bee Magnet for the Balcony

A metallic shimmer that bathes your balcony in a mysterious light: The Honeywort (Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens') is an extraordinary botanical rarity that I would like to offer you here for your garden or container. It combines an almost unreal, bluish-violet coloring with enormous ecological value for our native insects.

Scope of delivery: Per young plant in a 7cm pot (approx. 10cm)

Botanical Highlights in Detail

Growth and stunning foliage color

The Honeywort grows as a bushy, upright plant and reaches a compact height of about 40 to 60 centimeters. Its name says it all: The fleshy, blue-green leaves are covered with a delicate, waxy sheen. The higher up on the stem they grow, the more intensely the bracts color in a deep, almost metallic violet-blue.

A feast for insects

Hidden beneath the striking bracts are the actual flowers: small, tubular bells in deep purple with a yellow throat. These flowers are extremely rich in nectar and an absolute magnet for bumblebees and wild bees. It is a great pleasure to observe the constant humming and buzzing around the plant.

Use as a cut flower

Not only is it a highlight in the bed or container, it also makes an excellent extravagant cut flower for the vase, where its unusual color creates fantastic contrasts with light-colored flowers.

The secret of success: Location, hardiness and proper care

The perfect location

For the Honeywort to develop its most intense coloring, it needs the right conditions.

• Light and warmth: A full sun to partial shade spot is ideal. The more sun it gets, the more intense the violet coloring of the leaves will be.

• Soil: The soil should be well-drained and not too rich in nutrients. Normal, slightly sandy potting soil is sufficient. It does not like waterlogging at all.

Winter protection and overwintering

Cerinthe major does not tolerate frost in our latitudes. However, you can successfully overwinter it if you bring it indoors before the first frosts. Place it in a bright, cool, but frost-free place (ideally around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius). During this dormant phase, it needs very little water – keep the soil only minimally moist so that the root ball does not dry out completely. Alternatively, the plant often self-seeds in a suitable location in autumn. If you leave a few faded shoots, you can look forward to many small seedlings in the next spring that will repopulate the container.

Use for balcony and garden

Due to its rather compact growth, the Honeywort is the perfect candidate for small urban gardens, space-saving balcony plantings or the classic container. It combines wonderfully with yellow or orange flowering plants, as this contrast makes the dark violet shine particularly strongly and elegantly.

My design tip: The "Bee Buffet" in a container

Since the Honeywort, unlike many of my other plants, cannot be eaten, I have summarized a beautiful planting combination for a summer patio container instead of a recipe.

Ingredients for a large planter:

• 1 to 2 plants of Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens' (for upright structure and dark violet)

• 1 climbing nasturtium in vibrant orange (as a color contrast and hanging underplanting)

• 1 pale yellow marigold (Tagetes)

Setup:

1. Plant the Honeywort in the center or slightly to the back of the container.

2. Place the yellow Tagetes directly next to it as a bright, glowing contrast.

3. Let the nasturtium hang picturesquely over the front edges of the container.

4. The result: A visual fireworks of violet, yellow, and orange, which not only looks fantastic but also attracts countless beneficial insects from early summer to the first frost!

Important health information about the plant

Even though the plant looks incredibly tempting and bees love it, there is an important point I want to emphasize:

• Purely decorative: Cerinthe major belongs to the borage family and naturally contains so-called pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These substances can be mildly toxic. The plant is therefore to be considered purely ornamental and is absolutely not suitable for consumption.

• Caution with pets: It is best to place the container so that gnawing pets such as rabbits or guinea pigs are not tempted to eat the leaves.