If you want to fill your garden with pretty blue-purple flowers, then grow Thunbergia Erecta. This guide will help you in growing this plant.
Thunbergia Erecta Clockvine is a beautiful evergreen shrub that offers blue to purple blooms embellished with yellow or cream throats. You can grow it on hedges, beds, and borders. Learn more details about this plant in the below post.
Common Names: King’s Mantle, Bush Clockvine, Potato bush
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Thunbergia Erecta Plant Profile
Native to Western Africa, this evergreen shrub displays oval-shaped, small, deep green foliage and mildly scented, velvety dark purple to blue flowers embellished with yellow or cream throats. They appear solely or in small bunches across the summer and fall.
This shrub can grow up to 4-6 feet tall and 5-8 feet wide. Bush Clock Vine is a nice choice for foundations, hedges, and borders.
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How to Propagate Thunbergia Erecta Plant
Propagation by Cuttings
Start growing this vine from mid-spring to early summer. Take a 4-6 inches long cutting. Dip the ends in a rooting hormone, and plant the cuttings in a pot filled with well-draining soil. Water gently and place the container in a bright, indirect light.
Propagation by Seeds
Fill the pot with well-draining soil and sow the seeds in it. Water thoroughly and put the pots in a location with bright, indirect light. The seeds will germinate in 3-5 weeks.
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Ideal Growing Conditions for Thunbergia Erecta
Location
This plant can tolerate some shade but won’t flower profusely. For best growth, ensure the plant receives 4-6 hours of bright sunlight.
Soil
Use well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0, and improve it by blending the soil with organic matter. Mix the potting mix with equal parts of compost and perlite or coarse sand.
Water
Water Thunbergia Erecta about once a week, but in hot summer months, the plant will need more regular watering. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy; water the plant when the top soil turns dry between waterings.
Always water around the base of the plant, and don’t wet the foliage.
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Thunbergia Erecta Care
Fertilizer
Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer with an equal ratio of NPK 10-10-10 at the rate of one tablespoon per gallon of water every 6-8 weeks in the spring and summer months.
Do not overfeed the plant, as it can make the foliage turn yellow. Apart from that, fish emulsion, animal manure, or leaf molds are also good alternatives you can use once in 1-2 months.
Pruning
Prune the Thunbergia Erecta in late winter or early spring. For this, use sharp pruning shears and trim any dead, brown, or damaged tips of the stem; it will promote new growth.
Also, prune the stems about one-third so they won’t become leggy and tall. Pruning also encourages flowering. If the plant turns big and unmanageable, cut it to the ground level. Ensure to water the plant sufficiently after pruning.
Pests and Diseases
Keep the leaves dry and place them where they receive a lot of sunlight, and your plant will be safe from all types of pests and diseases. Spider mites, scales, and whiteflies can damage the plant; you can treat this issue by using an insecticidal soap.