Sutera cordata

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Bacopa (Sutera cordata / Chaenostoma cordatum) is a low, trailing plant (10-45 cm) smothered in tiny white or pastel flowers. The grower says it is not a houseplant but can be grown in a container – it is a classic hanging-basket and pot-edge trailer for a shaded balcony or patio.

Quick Details

• Container Size: Baskets, window boxes or the edge of mixed pots
• Indoor Suitability: Not a houseplant – an outdoor container trailer
• Best Spot: Half shade to full shade – it is sensitive to heat
• Soil & Drainage: Rich, free-draining mix that holds some moisture
• Watering in Pots: Average amount – keep evenly moist; it sulks if it dries out

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Not a houseplant: The grower lists it as not a houseplant; it is grown in outdoor pots and baskets.
• Windowsill: Not a room plant – it wants cooler, brighter outdoor air and steady moisture.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light, wind & heat: Give it the brightest spot it will tolerate; walls and railings reflect heat and dry pots quickly, so check moisture often and shelter or stake exposed growth.
• Cool & shaded: It is heat-sensitive, so give it a cooler, half- to fully-shaded spot; hanging baskets dry fast, so check moisture often and never let it wilt.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: Baskets, window boxes or pot edges with good drainage. Use strong drainage holes and skip a standing-water saucer to avoid root rot. Terracotta breathes and dries faster; glazed or plastic holds moisture longer.
• Potting mix: A well-aerated, organic-rich mix – potting soil or peat/coir with perlite or vermiculite for free drainage.
• Feeding: A trailing bloomer in a small pot is hungry – feed regularly but lightly for continuous flower.
• Refresh: Often grown as a seasonal plant; replant baskets each season for the best show.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Nearly year-round in warm climates; spring through autumn elsewhere
• Time to First Bloom: In its first season – it blooms quickly and almost continuously
• Flower Appearance: Small, simple five-petalled flowers in white, pink or purple, scattered over trailing stems
• Edibility: Not eaten – grown as an ornamental (this ornamental bacopa is not the herb Bacopa monnieri)

Detailed Blooming Overview

Ornamental bacopa is a trailing ground cover and basket plant that flowers almost non-stop, dotting its cascading stems with small starry blooms throughout the warm season.

Flower Characteristics

• Small, simple flowers with five petals in white, pink or purple.
• Scattered evenly along trailing, cascading stems.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Keeping it blooming: It is largely self-cleaning, but steady moisture and light feeding keep the flowers coming.
• Watch for: Letting it dry out stalls flowering, so avoid drought stress in baskets and containers.