Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
As precious as jade
|
The Jade Vine gets its name because the flowers are a rare blue-green colour and resemble the semi precious stone
|
SPECTACULAR PLANT The Jade Vine
A truly spectacular plant, the Jade Vine, to a gardener, can be as precious as jade itself. A native of the jungles in the Philippines, the climber can overshadow any other plant in a garden, both because of its tendency to climb over anything, and its glorious flowers which are quite unlike any other.
Beautiful leaves
Belonging to the botanical genus Leguminosae, its true name is Strongylodon macrobotrys. Called jade because the flowers are a rare blue-green colour, the plant has dark green, beautifully three-parted leaves that are sharply shaped. They are actually an unattractive dull limp brown when they first appear.
The flowers are thick and pea-like, blooming in huge long clusters that can be a metre long. Each flower has a pointed keel and re-curving wings.
Being long-lasting, the flowers are used to make garlands in South East Asia.
Thrives in hot climate
More at home at slightly higher altitudes, the jade vine nevertheless does well in hot climates, though it is a little slow to flower.
It has the decided advantage of being very hardy. A well-drained soil is absolutely essential, but while flowering, regular watering is a must.
Propagation is by stem cuttings and the plant is quite pest-free. The search for this plant could be long for an enthusiast, though truly rewarding at the end.
RUPA GOPAL
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
