Pandorea is a climbing vine plant that produces colorful, fragrant blooms. It is a perennial plant that belongs in the bignoniaceae family of plants. When it is placed in a garden area, it can be used as an accent plant, but because of its vines, it can be trained to grow onto a trellis. The pandorea can also be planted next to fences or the side of a wall to decorate a specific area. Other names for this plant include jasmine pandorea or bower vine.
These climbing plants have vines covered in glossy dark green leaves. They are oval shaped on the bottom and have a pointed top edge. The leaves are extremely shiny and make an excellent background for the colorful flowers this plant produces. When the pandorea is placed in a pot or garden, the vines are hidden and only the blooms and leaves are visible.
Flowers that appear on the pandorea plant are round. Each separate flower has five heart-shaped petals. The blooms appear from late spring to midsummer and they have a pleasing fragrance. They come in a variety of colors, depending on the plant, including near white, pink, and red. These flowers have accent colors located at the center of the bloom, which are often just a bit darker than the flower itself.
The pandorea is considered a hardy plant because it does well during the winter months. It is able to withstand temperatures colder than 20 Fahrenheit (around -6 C). Although the plant may appear dead during this time, it completely recovers in early spring. It can grow to reach 6 feet in height (around 1.1m).
This plant does not need any special care to thrive but experts do recommend that it be placed in an area that has full and direct sunlight for approximately four to six hours a day. The soil should be mildly acidic. Fertilizer can be purchased to enhance the soil before planting, but the pandorea plant can thrive without it. There will not be as many blooms if the soil is not treated with fertilizer.
Pandorea is not considered an invasive plant, but the vines can take over a plant that is nearby. It will not rob another plant of nutrients or water, but it may damage the leaves, stems, or blooms of a neighboring plant. The soil must be kept slightly damp, but this plant should be placed on a slight hill to allow excess water to flow away from the root system.