Bower vine

Bower vine: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Twining climber, up to about 4 m tall and 1.5 m wide. Evergreen, with fairly dense, lush foliage.

Leaves

Compound and feathered: 5–9 glossy, dark green leaflets per leaf. In opposite pairs.

Flowers

Trumpet-shaped, about 4–5 cm, in clusters at the tips of the shoots. Pink with a darker throat, or white; June to September.

Fruit

Long, flat pods containing winged seeds; here it rarely sets them.

Roots

Fibrous and branching; in a pot it needs a large container with good drainage.

Flowering: June–September · Plants: May–June · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Large, graceful trumpet flowers from June to September, pink or white with a dark centre.
• Glossy, evergreen foliage that stays attractive even outside the flowering season.
• It twines itself round a trellis, mesh or obelisk and stays manageable in a pot.
• Suitable for a warm terrace, a conservatory or a bright, cool winter space.
• An exotic look for little work, as long as you keep it frost-free in winter.

Bower vine: where does it grow best?

• Full sun and warmth: a sheltered, south- or west-facing terrace, or a conservatory.
• Humus-rich, free-draining soil; in a pot, good potting compost with some sand, acid to neutral.
• Keep evenly moist in summer; in a pot, always with drainage holes and a layer of clay pebbles at the bottom.
• Keep it out of the wind: strong wind tears the flowers and pulls the shoots off their support.
• Choose a pot at least 30–40 cm wide; provide a trellis, mesh or obelisk of 1.5–2 m as support.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

4 m tall, 1.5 m wide

Hardiness

Frost tender: overwinter indoors (above 0 °C)

Goes well with

• Cape leadwort: Sky-blue flowers next to the pink trumpets, and also a tub plant that overwinters frost-free.
• African lily: Blue flowers in a tub, which you overwinter in the same way.
• Lavender: A sun-loving neighbour with fragrant, grey-green leaves.
• Pelargonium: Flowers all summer in pots on the terrace and also overwinters indoors.

Bower vine: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

1. Put it outside in May–June, only after mid-May, when nights no longer fall below 8–10 °C.
2. Choose a pot or tub at least 30–40 cm wide with drainage holes and put a layer of clay pebbles in the bottom.
3. Use good potting compost with 10–20% sharp sand or perlite, so water drains away well.
4. Plant at the same depth as in the old pot and fit the trellis or obelisk at the same time, so you do not damage the roots later.
5. Water in generously straight away, let the excess drain away and tie in the first shoots loosely.

Care

Water

In summer water regularly, sometimes daily in hot weather; let the top layer dry out slightly between waterings. In winter hardly any, just enough to stop the root ball drying out.

Feeding

From April to August give a high-potassium flowering-plant feed every 2 weeks in the water. Stop after August.

Tying in

Tie long shoots to a trellis or mesh; the tips twine by themselves. Tie loosely to avoid cutting into the stems.

Repotting

Every 2 years in spring, in fresh compost and a pot 5 cm larger; if the pot is large enough, just replace the top layer of compost.

Deadheading

Cut off faded clusters; this keeps the plant tidy and can prompt a second flush of flowers.

Tip: Overwinter it bright and cool (5–10 °C) with hardly any water: a warm, dark room costs it leaves and flowers. In March shorten the side shoots to 2–3 buds.

Bower vine: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before growth starts. It flowers on young shoots, so spring pruning does not cost you any flowers.

How:

• Shorten last year’s side shoots to 2–3 buds.
• Cut dead, weak or damaged stems right out.
• Thin out overcrowded stems so light and air can get in.
• Leave a few long main shoots for shape; they can climb up the support.
• An overgrown plant can be pruned hard; it shoots again from old wood.

Caution: Do not prune in autumn just before overwintering: you will then find no frost-free space for large branches.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

July–August: semi-ripe cuttings of 10 cm with 2–3 leaves, lower leaves removed, in sandy compost at 20–25 °C under plastic. Roots after 4–8 weeks.

Layering

In spring or summer pin a low shoot into the soil; separate it after a year.

Seed

March–April at 18–21 °C; seedlings grow slowly and only flower after a few years.

Bower vine: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 0 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Not hardy: it is already damaged at 0 °C. Bring it indoors in October, before the first night frost.
• Overwinter it bright and cool, at 5–10 °C, in a conservatory, bright stairwell or light garage, with very little water.
• In a room that is too warm and dark it loses its leaves and attracts spider mite or mealybug; then put it in the lightest, coolest place possible.
• In spring, give gradually more water and light and put it outside again only after mid-May.

Diseases and pests

• Spider mite and mealybug: Fine webs or white, woolly patches on the leaves, especially in warm, dry rooms. Rinse with lukewarm water, move it somewhere cooler and wipe mealybugs off with a cloth.
• Whitefly and aphids: Sticky shoots or small white flies. Spray off with water and use yellow sticky traps; ladybirds help.
• Root rot: Yellow, limp leaves from wet roots, especially in winter. Free-draining compost, a pot with holes and hardly any water in winter.
• No flowers: Too little light, too much nitrogen, or an overwintering spot that is too warm and dark. Give it more sun, feed with a high-potassium fertiliser and overwinter it cool and bright.

Through the year

• January: Rest. Cool and light, hardly any water.
• February: Check for spider mite and mealybug.
• March: Prune. Repot or replace the top layer of compost.
• April: Water more. Start feeding.
• May: Put outside after mid-May. Tie in.
• June: First flowers. Feed every 2 weeks.
• July: Flowering. Water. Take cuttings.
• August: Flowering. Water. Stop feeding at the end of August.
• September: Last flowers. Water less.
• October: Bring indoors before the first night frost.
• November: Cool and bright, little water.
• December: Rest. Check now and then for aphids.

Did you know?

• The genus name Pandorea refers to Pandora in Greek mythology.
• Pandorea belongs to the Bignoniaceae, the family of the trumpet vine (Campsis) and the Indian bean tree (Catalpa).
• In Australia it is known as bower vine or bower of beauty: a name that recalls the arbours and pergolas it grows over.