Count Your Blessings!

With love and passion, everyone can have a nice garden...Elaine Yim

Count Your Blessings!
Count The Garden By The Flowers, Never By The Leaves That Fall.
Count Your Life With Smiles And Not The Tears That Roll.
..... Author unknown.

Knowing me, Knowing you..... Aha.....!

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Malaysian Flora USDA Zone 11
Welcome to our exotic world of everlasting summers and tropical rainforests!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Petrea volubilis - The Sandpaper Vine

1.
If you love vines and the colour purple, then this plant is for you.

2.
Scientific name: Petrea volubilis

Common names:
Sandpaper Vine, Purple Wreath, Queen's Wreath, Fleur de Dieu (meaning "Flower of God")

Family: Verbenaceae
Origin: Tropical America (Mexico and Central America)
 Category: Evergreen vine
Photo taken at: rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama


The genus "Petrea" is named in honour of Robert James Petre (1713-1742), 8th baron and well-known patron of botany who has a massive collection of exotic plants.

The epithet "volubilis" means twining.


“Petrea volubilis - The Sandpaper Vine”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on February 26th, 2013

3.
The leaves are stiff and crisp, like paper while the flowers are soft and delicate.

The flowers emerge from the axils of leaves. Flowering is profuse. The flowers are borne in large, tapering clusters, the racemes can be as long as 1 ft. There are between 15-30 flowers arranged in pairs in each raceme. They appear to open dark purple and remain so for many days, thereafter slowly changing to a lighter grey. The actual flowers have 5 petals, purple in colour with a white centre. After the purple corollas drop off, they reveal the grey calices (sepals).

The flowers attract bees and butterflies.

4.
Growing requirements:
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-draining
Propagation: Stem or root cuttings

With a strong support, it can reach very tall. Once established, it grows tall and dense, with vines twined over its branches. It will spread over a large area when left unprunned. Without support, it can be trained into a shrub or small tree. It can be grown on the ground under a pergola, in a container or hanging basket.

5.
Spectacular purple and grey flowers against lush green leaves.
Flowers that look like Wisteria.

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