Shoo-fly plant

Shoo-fly plant: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, branching annual about 1 m tall and 60 cm wide.

Foliage

Large, oval to oblong, with a coarsely toothed or wavy edge.

Flower

Pale blue to violet, bell-shaped, white in the centre, about 3–4 cm across. Each bloom lasts only a very short time. July to September.

Fruit

A small brown berry enclosed in a green, later brown, papery calyx with five angular wings: the lantern.

Roots

Fibrous and branching; the plant is not demanding and grows fast.

Flowering: July–September · Sowing: March–May · Plants: May–June

Why grow it?

• Pale blue, bell-shaped flowers from July to September, popular with bees and bumblebees.
• The lantern-shaped fruits are decorative and dry excellently for arrangements.
• Fast-growing: a full-sized plant in a single summer.
• Gives a tall, airy backdrop to borders, even on ordinary soil.
• Draws attention and is easy to raise from seed.

Shoo-fly plant: where does it grow best?

• Full sun for the best flowering and fruiting.
• Ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky; it also grows on rich soil.
• Moderately moist; it tolerates some drought, but flowers and fruits best with regular water.
• Allow about 50–60 cm between plants. Put it at the back of a border or where children and animals cannot reach it.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

1 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Frost tender: plant out after the last frost (mid-May)

Goes well with

• Dahlia: Large, colourful flowers beside the pale blue blooms.
• Sunflower: Tall and sun-loving; together a generous, airy backdrop.
• Ornamental grasses: Airy stems that show off the bold foliage and the lanterns.
• Cosmos: Airy pink and white flowers that suit the blue bells.

Shoo-fly plant: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

1. Sow in March–April indoors at about 15–18 °C; the seed is small and germinates in 1–2 weeks.
2. Prick out the seedlings into pots and keep them light and cool.
3. Plant out at the end of May or early June, after the last night frost, 50–60 cm apart.
4. Water in generously straight away.
5. You can also sow outdoors in place in May, but flowering is then later.

Care

Water

Water regularly in dry spells, especially in July and August when the fruits form.

Feeding

Rarely needed; rich soil gives lots of leaf and fewer fruits.

Pinching out

Pinch out the tip when the plant is 30 cm tall: it branches better and stays more compact.

Support

In a windy garden, add a stake or twigs; the plant can become tall and heavy.

Harvesting

In autumn, cut the stems with brown lanterns and hang them upside down to dry. Wear gloves.

Tip: Cut stems with brown lanterns in autumn and hang them upside down to dry. Wear gloves and keep them out of reach of children and animals.

Shoo-fly plant: when to prune it?

When: An annual is not pruned; at most you pinch out the tips in summer and cut the fruiting stems in autumn.

How:

• Pinch out the tip when the plant is about 30 cm tall for branching growth.
• In autumn, cut stems with dry, brown lanterns for the dried arrangement; wear gloves.
• Remove the fruits before they ripen if you do not want seedlings next year.
• Pull the plant up after frost, wearing gloves.

Caution: All parts of the plant are poisonous, even when pruning: wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing

In March–April indoors at 15–18 °C. Sow shallowly and keep moist; germination in 1–2 weeks. Outdoors is possible in May.

Self-sowing

It often seeds itself; seedlings you want to keep can be moved in spring, and you weed out the rest.

Shoo-fly plant: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 0 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• An annual: the plant dies at the first frost. Young plants tolerate at most a night around 0 °C.
• Keep dried stems with lanterns in a dry room for winter, out of reach of children and pets.
• Store seed in a paper envelope, cool and dry, well away from children and animals.

Diseases and pests

• Self-seeding: It seeds itself freely. Remove the lanterns before they burst if you do not want seedlings everywhere.
• Slugs: Young seedlings are soon eaten. Search for them in the evening or lay a ring of coarse sand or crushed shells.
• Aphids: On young shoots and buds. Rinse them off with water or let ladybirds do the work.
• Toppling: Tall plants lean over in wind or rain. Support them in good time or plant in shelter.

Through the year

• March: Sow indoors.
• April: Prick out. Sow more if needed.
• May: Plant out after the last frost. Sow outdoors if wanted.
• June: Pinch out the tips. Water.
• July: Flowering begins. Water in dry spells.
• August: Flowers and fruit set. Put supports in.
• September: Lanterns turn brown. Cut stems for drying.
• October: Clear the plants. Remove lanterns if you do not want seedlings.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Shoo-fly plant belongs to the nightshade family and is poisonous in all its parts, especially the seeds in the berries. Its papery lanterns look like those of the Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana), whose berry is edible: the Cape gooseberry has a juicy orange berry inside and yellow flowers, shoo-fly plant a dry, brownish berry full of seeds and pale blue flowers. So never eat anything from a lantern you are not sure of. Keep children, cats, dogs and grazing animals away from the plant, and keep dried arrangements out of their reach. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The genus name honours Nicander of Colophon, a Greek poet and physician of the second century BC who wrote about poisons.
• The English name shoo-fly plant comes from the folk belief that the plant drives flies away.
• The plant belongs to the nightshade family, like potato, tomato and deadly nightshade.