Podranea

Podranea ricasoliana, known in some places as pink bignonia, is a species native to South Africa characterized by its vigorous and rapid growth, and the attractiveness of its flowering that make it an interesting option when looking for a ornamental creeper. It is an evergreen climbing shrub, capable of reaching heights of around 5 meters. It shows woody and voluble stems, without tendrils that help it to adhere to the vertical surfaces and to climb.

The leaves of Podranea ricasoliana are opposite, imparipinnadas of 6 to 25 centimeters of length with petioles of 16 to 60 millimeters and with 5 to 13 lobes oval and pointy. They are dark green, have a somewhat toothed margin, cuneate base, generally somewhat asymmetric, and the apex from short to long acuminate. The flowers of this plant are grouped in wide terminal panicles; are bell shaped, weakly bilabed, with five lobes, and have a size of up to 7.5 centimeters in length by 7.5 centimeters in diameter. They have the lower part of the throat furry and with spots in the whole of the latter, more or less linear and of a stronger color than the rest, which is light pink.

The flowering of the podcasa ricasoliana takes place in summer and autumn in great profusion and size. The fruits consist of subcilindrical linear capsules of up to 30 centimeters in length and 1 centimeter in diameter, dehiscentes in 2 valves when maturing and that contain numerous flat seeds of about 15 millimeters in length, with 2 white, or hyaline, wings, although rarely are produced in specimens in culture. Thanks to its rapid growth capacity, Podranea ricasoliana is usually used to cover very large areas, forming an attractive ornament for pergolas and great walls.

To grow and develop, this supportive habit plant needs to be placed in a place in the sun or semi-shade, in a soil rich in nutrients and well drained and benefits greatly from regular applications of compost well rotten and abundant water in summer. An established ricasoliana Podranea is tolerant to heat, strong sunlight, wind and periods of drought. It also supports light frost and must survive a minimum winter of -5 ° C, although it is more suitable for frost-free gardens. Young plants require protection against the cold.

Regarding the soil, the specimens of this species are not very demanding, provided it is rich, something fresh and well drained. It needs irrigation regularly, but more rarely when the ambient temperature is low. Because it is so vigorous and so rapidly growing, there is a risk that Podcasa ricasoliana can become uncontrolled and infest the gutters and protrusions of the roof, especially in the subtropical regions. For this reason it should be subjected to periodic pruning which will also help to improve flowering. The most suitable time for this work is the winter or early spring, just before the new growth begins.

Podranea ricasoliana can be multiplied by seeds, cuttings or stolons. Although a proportion of seeds of this species may be infertile, about 50 percent can germinate. They should be sown in spring or summer, in a well-drained seedling soil mixture, and should only be lightly covered with seed mixture, clean coarse sand or crushed ground to avoid dispersal. Trays should be kept moist in a warm but shaded position. Germination should occur in three to four weeks and transplanting to pots is done after the first pair of true leaves has been developed.