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Bright clusters of blooms

A plant that puts out orange-red flowers

Whether you have a little gardening space in your home or lots of it, Cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis) is enough to add a dash of colour to it.

Belonging to the family Bignoniaceae, the plant has its origin in Africa. It belongs to the vines and climbers category. Growing up to a height of eight metres as a shrub or up to 20 feet as a semi-climber, it puts out bright orange and yellow flowers in summer. These flowers attract hummingbirds.

The vivid orange-red trumpet-shaped flowers appear in clusters towards the end of summer and last into autumn. Evergreen, the plant can be left to ramble on your staircase or pruned to form an attractive shrub, hedge or screen. Horticulturists say this shrub yields best to attempts to bring out complex shapes. It is versatile and needs little care. Pests usually stay away from it, but rare attacks by scaly insects do occur. The leaflets are glossy green, oval and serrated.

Cape honeysuckle flourishes in sunshine. But, it grows in part shade too. Its only requirement — well drained, compost-enriched soil. Though it spreads when planted on the ground, it can be potted too. Only, don't fail to prune it once in a while, but after the flowering season. If it is not pruned, the plant can turn unwieldy. Propagation is from seed and cuttings taken in summer, or by layering, something the shrub does naturally. To collect seeds, allow the seed heads to dry on the plants.

The plant needs very little water and is tolerant to drought. Once it roots it is enough to give it one good soaking every month.

SUBHA J. RAO

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