Growing Thunbergia Vines in Your Houston, Texas Garden

Thunbergia come in different varieties, including Thunbergia Grandiflora (Sky Flower), Thunbergia Alata (Black-eyed Susan Vine), Thunbergia Battiscombei (Mercer Blue), and others. Thunbergia can grow to be from 3 to 15 feet high, and can flower in colors that include blue, purple, yellow, cream, orange and white. Most varieties do best in full sun, although some tolerate partial shade, and many will attract butterflies to your Houston, Texas garden. They flower in summer and fall, although you will sometimes see blossoms in winter or spring. If you think you would enjoy growing Thunbergia in your own Houston, Texas garden, try planting some of the varieties below.

Sky Flower. Plant this Thunbergia in full or filtered sun in your garden, where it will blossom with tubular blue flowers from July through October. This perennial vine requires support, so use it in an arbor or tied to a small fence. It has lovely heart-shaped leaves, and is hardy enough to survive the Houston, Texas winter without any problems. This Thunbergia will grow to be 20 feet high (or more), and does best in organic soil.

Variegated Blue Sky Flower. The beautiful flowers of this Thunbergia are light blue, and will attract butterflies to your Houston, Texas garden. It also has very pretty green and white variegated leaves. Plant this Thunbergia in full to partial sun in your Houston, Texas garden, where it will grow to be about fifteen feet high. It blossoms in the summer and fall, and withstands the Houston, Texas winter without issues.

Bengal Clock Vine. The trumpet-shaped flowers of this Thunbergia are white, and will blossom during the fall in your Houston, Texas garden. Plant it in full to partial sun, where it will grow to be about 20 feet high. Bengal Clock Thunbergia does best in well-drained soil, and can be planted in late summer or early fall in your Houston, Texas garden. Its lovely flowers blossom in pretty chains of blooms.

Black-eyed Susan Vine. This Thunbergia has the same sunny flowers with dark centers as a Black-eyed Susan. Plant it in full to partial sun in your Houston, Texas garden, where it will bloom with orange, yellow and cream flowers from June through October. Black-eyed Susan Vines grow to be about ten feet tall, and do best in garden soil with good drainage. This Thunbergia survives the Houston, Texas winter without any problems, and will reseed.

Mercer Blue. If you are looking for beautiful purple flowers for your Houston, Texas garden, try planting this Thunbergia. This is a vining shrub which will grow to be about 8 feet tall. Its gorgeous purple-blue flowers have yellow throats, and its large, oval leaves (7" in diameter) are also pretty. Plant this perennial shrub in full to partial sun in your Houston, Texas garden, where it will bloom from the spring through fall. This shrub can stand cold temperatures down to 20 degrees (unlikely in Houston, Texas.)

Source list:

Personal experience

http://www.botany.com/thunbergia.html

http://www.chron.com/apps/chron_data/plants.mpl