INTRODUCTION:
After checking my blog, I found that I had this plant since August 2009. (4 years plant)
It is amazing how in just 4 years this plant never fail to reward so many blooms continuously non-stop month after month. I also realized that I really never wrote about this plant except for the wonderful blooms.
Most of the details can be checked from Google.
What I want to add is which is not found generally in the database.
PROPAGATION
The best I found is from the matured stem cuttings.
They may stay dormant for weeks, then sprouts may appear from the nodes.
Sometimes few of the cuttings may not survive - so it is best to have more cuttings planted than just one. I had planted like 5 vines and only 3 survived, even then only two managed to reach maturity stage.
Once they start growing - you really don't have to worry as more vines and new plants emerge from the base roots area.
PRUNING
I often hard prune them once the flowering season is over.
Normally once the bloom is spend the vine sort of die back.
I strip off the leaves and twine all the vine together making a braid & tie them together in a bundle.
I find that very neat looking and give a very cool look where the bare area where I strip of all the matured leaves.
HARDINESS
They do so well in shaded or semi-shade areas.
They survive in hot sunny area but they tend to have burned leaves and blooms. I find they are very hardy when it comes to pest. Quite a resistant plant.
The blooms last for weeks and newer blooms sprouts within a month.
SETBACK
They are invasive & will crawl & twine all over, everywhere.
The vine seemed to sprout more side branches and they tend to knot here & there which may look ugly.
One vine when through a hanging pot watering hole and came out sprouting with few branches and that one was heavy with blooms. I had only trimmed it off after the flowering season was over. This is one of the reasons why they need pruning time to time.
The vine are very flexible and you may need to watch out as they do tend to be so elastic that the tendency of it to slap back at your face like a whip can happen.
They do have a running underground rhizomes that new shoots to pop out elsewhere in the garden space. So you may have to watch out for that too. Once you plant this plant - consider it as a permanent plant in your garden, or else don't plant it because you will have hard time removing it.
(unless you are considering a major renovation in your garden)
FEEDING Since this is so rich and invasive. I had not put any fertilizer to it.
MEDICINAL VALUE The locals calls it "Nyonya Makan Sirih"
I had read few of the herbal remedies about it but haven't dared tried it.
