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Amazon Blue

Achetaria azurea (ak-eh-TAR-ee-uh ah-ZUR-ee-ah)

Family: Plantaginaceae Unknown Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Brazilian Snapdragon is an evergreen subshrub in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) native to southeastern Brazil. This shrub will grow 3-4 feet outdoors but smaller in a pot. It needs well-drained slightly acidic soil in full sun to partial shade with regular watering and fertilization. Propagation is by seeds or stem cuttings. In its tropical habitat, Brazilian Snapdragon will bloom throughout the year. If grown as an annual, it will bloom spring through fall. The 2-petaled flowers resemble snapdragon flowers and are violet-blue with a white mark at the throat. The leaves are green with a minty fragrance when crushed. Grow this plant in a pot outdoors in summer and bring it indoors for winter, providing 4-6 hours of sun in a window. It can be used in the garden border, the cutting garden or en masse as an annual in zones lower than 9.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 56 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Antirrhinum majus

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Herbaceous Perennial; Perennial; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Mounding; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leaves smell like minty pine when crushed, and are green with depressed veins. The leaves are attached directly to the stem (sessile)
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Each violet-blue flower has 2 petals, the lower petal has a white streak. The flowers expand straight from the stem of the plant.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is an ovoid pubescent capsule.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Stems have a variety of colors including brown, green, and a tint of red.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Brazil
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Fragrance
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule

Edibility

Not edible

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Hanging Baskets; Patio; Small Space; Walkways
Landscape theme
Cutting Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Mass Planting; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#long bloom time #evergreen shrub #showy flowers #fragrant leaves #year-round interest #evergreen #blue flowers #full sun tolerant #herbaceous #tropical herbaceous perennial #tropical shrub #tropical feel #partial shade tolerant #cutting garden #annual #border front #compact
Problems & Resistance
Propagation
Seed; Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.