Thunbergia grandiflora 'Blue Sky Vine'

These are pictures of the Thunbergia grandiflora that is growing in my greenhouse. It has rooted in the gravel and gone it's own way, covering a large part of the top of the back part of the greenhouse. The one outside was killed back by our first light frost, but in the greenhouse and out of the reach of frost, it blooms on. This is a sturdy vine with lots of  3 inch wide blooms. I'll eventually cut it back, but I just want to see how long it will bloom.

Clock Vine (Thunbergia)

I saw this Thunbergia growing at our condo in Hawaii. I have one already, but it is not like this one. (You can see mine by looking at my entry for 9/12/09. The one I have is Thunbergia grandiflora, and I think the one in this picture is T. erecta. It is a much darker color than mine but the flowers are smaller. I took some cuttings of this one but it did not root. My experience is that Thunbergias root easily, but I think the cutting I took stayed in water too long. The Thunbergias are a varied group belonging to the Acanthaceae. If you google Thunbergia you will get some eye candy. Another name for this group of plants is clock vine, a name supposedly derived from the fact that the vine curves in a clockwise direction as the grows. if anyone has one, I would welcome a start.

Blue Sky vine

 

 

This Thunbergia is growing in the ground beside the old greenhouse, and has overwintered there 3 or 4 years. It seems to get bigger and nicer every year. It gets killed to the ground but returns every summer. It grows better if kept well watered but is not a real water hog. It grows well in the clay soil around here. They make a nice thick shade for the end of a sunny porch. I have never had any to set seed. I guess they need a longer summer. However they do root easily.
This is the same genus that has blackeyed Susan vine. I grew those for several in the greenhouse, quite by accident. They reseeded and eventually I got a group that had white eye instead of black. Interesting, but not as pretty as the blackeyed ones.