The snowflaked flower Bacopa is a new annual that is taking Ontario by storm. A native South African plant, Bacopa was discovered filling out lush hanging baskets in an Australian nursery and brought to America as a Proven Winners introduction. Propagated by cuttings, and not by seed, it is a welcome newcomer for window boxes, planters, pots, and a garden ground cover.

It is related to the water hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) that is used by herbalists as an antioxidant to reduce stress-induced anxiety and enhance cognitive ability.

Bacopa the flowering plant has become the darling of container plant gardeners. This standout annual evergreen plant decorates pots with a living carpet of trailing stems bearing a bounty of tiny flowers. On creeping or cascading stems, hundreds of small, five-petaled, white flowers stand above rounded and toothed leaves. Stems can get to be a foot long, spreading across the soil surface and draping gracefully down the side of a pot.

The first bacopa plants offered were all low, trailing plants with tiny leaves and small white flowers. Now the flowers are larger and it comes in a variety of blue, violet, red and pink hues that can add some real "pow" to pots.

Selection and Care

Bacopa grows well from sun to shade, but requires abundant water in sunny areas. As the heat rises, keep a close watch since drought can cause the flowers to drop and weaken the plant. Provide well-drained but rich soil in a garden or planter. When grown in a basket or container, fertilize regularly with a high nitrogen fertilizer.

Routinely pinch back growing stems to keep plants shapely, but don't prune heavily. However, as Bacopa matures a layer of matted dead stems builds up underneath the plant. Remove if visible but also acts as natural mulch, protecting the plant from drought. An organic liquid feed of fish emulsion/seaweed extract every one to two weeks will maintain plant vigor and health.

Use alone or in combination with other annuals in pots, baskets, and other containers. Or let the stems creep around the base of taller annuals or perennials or along a retaining wall or front edging of a garden bed.