I don’t know why salpiglossis isn’t more widely used. It’s easy to transplant, blooms freely, and comes in a medley of rich colors. In shape it is an embossed trumpet, with the embossing being most noticeable in the yellow and chocolate colors, which are nearly self-color. Red, purple and blue have more veining, and the color variations tend to overwhelm the embossing. I can generally find it at one local greenhouse, and this year they had it in a new color, Kew Blue, but I can’t seem to find the more exotic colors.
Of course here in Alaska it tends to be relatively cool in the summer, which is something it likes. Wikipedia says it comes from southern Chile, which can be quite cool. Think Tierra del Fuego!
It’s one of the few flowers to have all three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. The flowers are funnel-shaped and fairly large. I use it in boxes and in the holes of my raised beds. I’ve tried bringing it in for the winter, but it does not do well indoors. Whether it’s because the humidity is too low or there’s not enough light I’m not sure.
At any rate I have to admit this post is mostly an excuse to show pictures!