Pyrostegia venusta
Flowering now.....
....... is a liana (a
vigorous, woody climber) that makes a beautiful ornamental plant with cascades
of bright orange tubular flowers. It is commonly grown in tropical and subtropical areas, as
well as in mild Mediterranean climates. The plants form dense masses, growing
up trees, on walls or over rocks, and are covered with flowers in the cool, dry
season.
Flame vine
.....or flame
flower, golden shower, orange creeper, orange trumpet creeper, orange trumpet
vine...... climbs up to 6 m
or more. The leaves have paired leaflets (5.0–7.5 cm), and a long, central
3-branched, twisting tendril. The crowded clusters of flowers are formed in the
leaf axils on the tips of shoots.
The capsule is narrowly cylindrical and
filled with winged seeds. After the petals fall off, they hang for a day or so
by the style before dropping. In the wild, P. venusta is pollinated by
hummingbirds.
Although a dazzling spectacle when in full flower, in
some parts of the world it has become naturalised and a weed.
