28 Jan 2010

Kew today - See our stunning clock vine

This beautiful vine can reach up to 20 feet in length.

Thunbergia mysorensis (clock vine)

Clock vine (Thunbergia mysorensis) in Kew's Princess of Wales Conservatory. (Image: RBG Kew)

If you can keep your eyes off the ever increasing amount of orchids and bromeliads that are rapidly taking over the Princess of Wales Conservatory in preparation for Kew's annual Tropical Extravaganza festival, you may notice a stunning yellow and red flower hanging down near the aquatic display.

Clock vine (Thunbergia mysorensis)

This is the clock vine, or Thunbergia mysorensis, an exotic, woody-stemmed, evergreen climbing flowering plant, native to India. The name 'mysorensis' derives from the city of Mysore in the south of India. It is also sometimes called the "brick & butter vine" or "dolls' shoes".

The vine often reaches 20 feet and has glossy green leaves. From winter through to summer wave after wave of eye-catching flowers are produced, hanging down from the vine in long clusters. Growers in the Americas have noticed that hummingbirds love them!

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1 comment on 'Kew today - See our stunning clock vine'

drip irrigation says

06/02/2010 2:44:07 PM | Report abuse

Really, it seems a good garden, i have to visit to the garden soon, i have seen some more information on this site