The unusual flowers are the selling point, though. They're velvety with marbled rich colors on trumpet-shaped blooms. The name could stand some improvement, and one source did refer to Salpiglossis sinuata as velvet flower. But this cool-season annual has become one of my favorites, and I scour nurseries in the fall for bedding plants. I always plant more when they're available again in early spring.
Care is relatively simple.
Partial sun and a fertile, well-draining soil with organic matter are about all that's needed to successfully grow painted tongue. Snails like to nibble on them sometimes, just as they do on petunias, so keep an eye out. This old-fashioned annual can be used to add some height to the flower bed. It matures to about 18 inches. Those I planted in late fall have had flowers throughout the winter.