HELIOTROPE

any of about 250 species of tropical or temperate, mostly herbaceous plants that make up the genus Heliotropium (family Boraginaceae) and are distributed throughout the world. The genus has many weedy species. The best known is garden heliotrope (H. arborescens), a shrubby perennial up to 2 m (over 6 feet) tall but usually less. It has fragrant, purple to white, flat-clustered, five-lobed flowers in coiled sprays, similar to forget-me-nots.