Plant Library

Other Names:  Bengal Clock Vine, Blue Thunbergia, Sky Flower

Description:

This vigorous variety will produce interesting blue-violet flowers all summer long, while climbing up whatever support you give it: very fast growing; use in landscapes and containers

Ornamental Features

Blue Trumpet Vine features bold sky blue trumpet-shaped flowers with yellow throats along the branches from late spring to mid fall. It has green deciduous foliage. The heart-shaped leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Trumpet Vine is a multi-stemmed deciduous woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This woody vine will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Invasive

Blue Trumpet Vine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Blue Trumpet Vine will grow to be about 30 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years.

This woody vine does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings.

Blue Trumpet Vine makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.