Thunbergia erecta commonly called King’s Mantle, originated from tropical West Africa and comes from the Acanthaceae family.
This pretty evergreen shrub with thin branches and almost glossy ovated leaves bears medium size trumpet shaped flowers which are almost royal blue in colour and have a yellow inside throat.
A perfect bloomer which attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, Thunbergia erecta was named after Dr Carl Peter Thunberg in the 18th century. He travelled widely across the continents helping to spread this beautiful shrub.
This shrub can grow as tall as 6ft in height, although it is best kept at a height of 3-5 ft. When grown as a single specimen, trimmed and balanced it looks most attractive. You can try cutting out old shoots to encourage new growth from the base. It makes an attractive hedge.
There is also Thunbergia erecta alba with white flowers and a yellow throat which is a beauty, although there are very few plants around.
In Guyana there are two species of Thunbergia which grow in almost every garden here. One is Thunbergia erecta which I have described above and Thunbergia laurifolia which originated from India. It is a woody twiner with light blue flowers and a white throat. Both species can be grown from cuttings. Fertilize with Miracle Gro Bloom Booster once every two weeks.
NB: With the dry season on, plants are in much need of water. Please make sure all your plants are watered every day when the sun is down to keep in the moisture.
Until next week, happy gardening!
