Jade vine

The jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) is a member of the pea and bean family, and is best known for its hanging stems of jade-green flowers.

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Jade Vine

Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys)

Did you know?

Jade vine pod

  • The June 2007 issue of FHM men’s magazine ranked the jade vine as the world’s sexiest plant.
  • There are fine specimens of the jade vine in both University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Cambridge University Botanic Garden, both of which were supplied by Kew.
     

 

The jade vine was first seen by westerners in 1854 by botanists who were members of the US Wilkes Exploring Expedition. They were exploring the dipterocarp forest of Mount Makiling on Luzon, the largest and most northern island in the Philippines, when they encountered the vine.

Kew has jade vines in the Princess of Wales Conservatory and in the Asia, Australasia and Pacific section of the Palm House’s North Wing. Each stem can exceed a metre in length and display more than 90 flowers. The plant grows wild in the Philippines, scrambling up other tropical rainforest species to reach the light. It is pollinated naturally by bats, which are attracted by the copious amounts of nectar its flowers produce.

Kew’s specimen in the Palm House – where there are no bats — so it has to be pollinated by hand,  set seed and produced fruits in 1995, for the first time in 32 years. It has now set seed again and currently has a large seed pod. Its elongated fruits can grow to the size of melons. Encouraging the plant to set seed is important as destruction of the rainforests means it is now threatened in its native habitat.

Kew’s plant generally flowers every two or three years, an event that delights staff and visitors alike. The vine grows very rapidly, and has to be regularly pruned by Kew staff to stop it smothering the plants around it.

8 comments on 'Jade vine
'

Edgardo Varela says

05/02/2012 5:08:06 PM | Report abuse

This year again, my Jade vine flowered more than ever. As I mentioned before, during the day the bees are the pollinators. They enter the flower and on occasions split the flower and exposed the pistils and stamens. Here's a photo of the bee and the exposed reproductive material.Jade vine 7

mark corke says

04/02/2012 9:25:07 PM | Report abuse

I have seen this beautiful and captivating flowering plant at the Cambridge Botanic Garden whilst it was in flower. It is very interesting to read details about the seeds and propagation of this plant given by Edgardo Varela. Fascinating. I would love to grow one of these vines.

Digital Media Team says

15/06/2011 2:31:09 PM | Report abuse

Thanks for sharing your experience with us Edgardo. It's wonderful to hear that you're having such success with growing this plant in the mountains of Puerto Rico.

Edgardo Varela says

15/06/2011 7:20:48 AM | Report abuse

Once again my Jade vine flowered and produced seeds in the mountains of Puerto Rico. Thousands of flowers, this time more than 60 seed pods were produced with an average of 9 to 11 seeds on each. Two different plants were pollinated this year. The capsule color is green until they mature and become brown, most of the time they open high in the plant and the second day the complete capsules fall to the ground, but a few times the complete capsule falls and open in the ground days later. The seed capsules are oblong and huge, with an average of 40.5 cm. circumference on its wider side by 30.3 cm circumference in the thinner side. Each capsule have an average weight of 660 grams and the average weight of each individual seed is 28.4 grams. I've noticed in my farm that during the day the bees are the pollinators. They are present in huge quantities on the flowers during the flowering period, they enter the flowers and many times expose its reproductive material. Bees on occasions split the flower and sometimes even got trapped inside the flower and die. Last year seeds yield almost a 90% germination rate. Most of the seeds germinate one week after planted. After one year some of the vines have grown up to 5 meters. Interesting is the fact that from a single seed, on occasions up to 6 new growths came out (average of 2), but eventually just one becomes dominant and the others disappear. I'm fortunate to have such an amazing and wonderful plant and to be able to share my experience with you.

James says

30/06/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Such a unique and beautiful plant

Edgardo Varela says

26/06/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

One of my three jade vine was naturally pollinated at my farm in Puerto Rico, with more than 20 fruits on it. I wonder if there are other vectors than bats.

Amali says

14/05/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

I'm fortunate to see this plant and its glorious flowers in two countries. Fist seen in my grand Parents garden in Sri Lanka, but dissapeared from their garden due to old age without a trace. When I saw Jade vinein in Kew, it took me back to my childhood.

Sue says

14/03/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

These waxy, pale turquoise flowers resembling those of a bean, fall in long strings & appear to be separate from the main plant. So beautiful.

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Watering bromeliads in the Tropical Nursery

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