Description
Inspiring poets with its beauty, this 1800s heirloom can be enjoyed in window boxes, hanging baskets, as a ground cover, as a screen, on a trellis or fence, and decorating mailboxes and columns. You will be rewarded with lush foliage and masses of blooms all summer long in vibrant orange, yellow, and white; the colorful petals make a striking contrast to the black “eye”.
Botanical Name: Thunbergia alata
Family: Acanthaceae
Native: Africa
Hardiness: Perennial USDA zones 10 and 11, otherwise grown as an annual
Plant Dimensions: 5'–8' long vine; in frost-free areas it may reach 20'.
Variety Information: 1″–1½” wide, vibrant white, yellow, and orange flowers, some with and some without a contrasting black “eye”.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Bloom Period: Summer to frost
Attributes: Attracts Pollinators, Cut Flower
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 65°–80°F.
When to Start Inside: 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date. Transplant outside after average last frost. Use biodegradable pots to prevent root disturbance when transplanting.
Days to Emerge: 15–20 days
Seed Depth: 1/8″
Seed Spacing: 1 seed every 6″
Thinning: Not required
20 seeds.