Jade vine

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

Jade Vine

Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys)

Did you know?

  • 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.
  • 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.
     

 

About this species

Kew's jade vine is 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 lives in the Palm House – where no bats live — so it has to be pollinated by hand. It set seed and produced fruits for the first time in 32 years in 1995. It has not done so again since. Its elongate 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.

1 comment on 'Jade vine
'

Sue says

14/03/2010 10:18:55 PM | 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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We invite photographers to capture the sights at Kew and Wakehurst. These images are a selection of images submitted by photographers from around the world. We hope you enjoy them. You can see more on Flickr.