Lisianthus Cessna Blue Picotee coated seeds - Eustoma russelianu

Eustoma russellianum, or large‑flowered lisianthus, excels in this F1 ‘Cessna Blue Picotee III’ cultivar, a selection with white double corollas delicately edged with blue‑violet. Very popular for making cut flower arrangements due to its long stems, this variety can be grown in borders, in a potager or in large pots. It offers regular flowering throughout the summer. The pelleted seeds are larger and easier to handle, simplifying sowing.

Member of the Gentianaceae family, Eustoma russellianum (syn. Eustoma grandiflorum, Lisianthus russelianum) is native to the Great Plains of North America, from Wyoming and Nebraska to Texas and northern Mexico. This species grows naturally in wet meadows, stream banks and sandy prairies. It is a short‑lived perennial, which can behave as an annual or biennial depending on conditions.
Widely cultivated in Japan since the 1930s and then by European breeders, lisianthus has become a major cut flower. 

‘Blue Picotee’ belongs to the Cessna series (group III), a line developed for ‘high‑end’ cut flowers. It was selected by Evanthia for its productivity, robust root system and reliable behaviour even in less favourable conditions. Group III flowers in summer; the flower harvest takes place after 11 to 16 weeks of cultivation. The plants reach 80 to 90cm in height and 25–35cm in width in open ground. Growth is rather slow initially, then steady. When grown in a large pot (7 to 10 litres), the plants measure 40 to 60 cm in height. Each has an upright habit, sometimes branched from the base. The glaucous stems bear waxy, blue‑green, oval to lanceolate leaves. They persist only if it does not freeze and when the plant is grown as a biennial. The taproot system is sensitive to transplanting.
The full, double flowers measure approximately 6–8 cm in diameter. They are cup‑shaped, slightly overlapping, resembling a small rose. The corolla is white with a clear blue‑violet edge (picotee). The flowers are borne in terminal panicles on long, sturdy stems; flowering extends from mid‑June to September, depending on the planting date.

Plant this Lisianthus ‘Cessna Blue Picotee III’ in full sun, in fertile, well‑drained soil that remains moist. In a cut flower border, plant it in rows or in groups of 5 to 7 plants, discreetly staked if the location is windy. Its slender silhouette and numerous flower buds enhance fine foliage and light shrubs: small‑flowered roses (‘The Fairy’ or 'Pomponella'), pale blue scabious 'Oxford Blue' and nigellas go well with its refined colouring. In a flower container, combine it with soft grasses like Carex oshimensis, compact perennial salvias and a few ball dahlias of medium size; also combine it with other lisianthus such as ‘Cessna Blue III’, ‘Cessna Yellow III’ or ‘Adom Red Picotee III’, providing a beautiful armful of flowers for summer bouquets.