Bacopa is a popular trailing plant with delicate heart-shaped leaves and dainty flowers. There are over 130 varieties of bacopa. Some are annual, some are perennial and others are evergreen shrubs. The variety known to most American gardeners is Bacopa Sutera, which is commercially available under such names as Snowstorm Pink, Giant Snowflake, Cabana Trailing Blue and Cabana White.
Uses for Annual Bacopa
When used as an annual, Bacopa Sutera is commonly placed in containers or hanging baskets because of its trailing nature. It is an excellent accent plant with tiny, star-like blossoms that contrast nicely with flowers with bigger blooms such as wave petunias or Superbells. Flowering from planting time until frost, bacopa grows only 4 to 8 inches high, but can spread indefinitely.
Uses for Perennial Bacopa
In zones 9 to 11, bacopa is a perennial and is sometimes used as a groundcover in rock gardens, at the front of borders or to spill over retaining walls. Bacopa that survives year-round can grow to be a semi-woody shrub 4 to 5 feet wide and 24 inches tall.
Planting Bacopa
When planting bacopa make sure that the location you choose receives at least four hours of sunlight per day--ideally, full sun in the morning followed by shade during the hottest portion of the day.
To plant, dig a hole that is double the size of the root ball and place the plant in gently. Backfill with soil and water generously. If planting in containers or baskets, be sure to use a well-draining potting soil.
Watering
Bacopa requires evenly moist soil throughout the growing season. Container plants should be watered twice per week to a dept of 4 to 6 inches. Inadequate watering will cause bacopa to drop flowers and buds. If this happens, it will take approximately two weeks for the plant to bounce back and recover. Bacopa will not wilt under drought so sometimes neighboring plants that wilt when they're too dry, like petunias or verbena, are a better indicator of water needs than bacopa. Do not overwater bacopa as soggy roots can lead to rot.
Fertilizing & Deadheading
During the growing season, fertilize container bacopa every two weeks with an all-purpose garden fertilizer. For in-ground plantings, this can be done monthly. If blooms start to wane towards the end of the season, an application of potash should turn things around.
Deadheading is not necessary with bacopa as they are self-cleaning plants, but you can pinch them back to encourage fullness. You will need to remove dead stems that build up under the plant, though.
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