Heliotrope

HELIOTROPE is an old-fashioned plant that has seen a resurgence in popularity is often first found by smell, not sight. Clusters of small purple or blue flowers atop dark green leaves. These flowers have a sweet scent that has been compared to the pleasant scents of vanilla, baby powder, grapes or cherry pie. Heliotropium is a genus of flowering plants in the heliotrope family, Heliotropiaceae. There are about 325 species in this almost cosmopolitan genus, commonly known as heliotropes.

Garden heliotrope is grown in southern Europe as an ingredient in perfumes. Several heliotropes are popular garden plants, especially garden heliotrope (H. arborescens). Some species are weeds and many are hepatotoxic. There are cases where dogs have died from excessive ingestion of this toxic plant. Some Danaine butterflies, such as male queen butterflies, visit these plants because they are attracted to their pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

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