Thunbergia battescombi

I bought one from Select Seed too, Melva, and here is what it looks like; today it even has more blooms than when I photographed this last week.

I love the color of the flowers of this one. Mine is starting to bloom as well.

I had been looking for cuttings of this plant but none seemed to have them. I finally found one for sale at a local nursery and got it. It wasn't in the most impressive shape but I got it to take off really well and has filled in and started blooming. Neat plants.

Hi BugFreak,

I got mine this past January from Logee's. It is really small but starting to put on some growth finally. I'm glad you found one.

The blooms remind me of orchids. Neat plant. I love when it really fills in and starts trying to climb. Well, maybe not "climb" but you know what I mean.

It is a great plant and you are so right, Clare, it is a gorgeous blue. I have a partiality for blue flowers.

Lenjo, I do too! I just realized this not too long ago: my garden is filled with blue and purple flowers!

Are all of them the Mercer Blue, or is that a particular variety of the Thunbergia Battescombii?

I believe Battescombii only comes in one color. (Anyone who might know, please correct me if I'm wrong .)

I just received mine in the mail today and after looking at these pictures I am so glad I ordered it!

How much sun etc. are you giving yours?

Though I think they like partial sun I have mine in full sun and it seems to be doing well. I still have it in a container so I can easily move it around. It seems to do pretty good in areas where it gets indirect light too. The blooming goes on and on. This has been my experience anway. Anyone else??

As far as I know the 'Battiscombie" only comes in this deep blue almost purple color. I love mine it is in Flower most of the time and dosn't seem to be slowing down... I have had this plant for a second growing season now....

Wow, great picture WillowWasp.

Yes, I think that is true that there is only one color of this type, but I could be wrong. Mine is planted in the ground and receives only an hour or two at most of direct sun.

This is a close up of the flower....This color is really intense. :o)
Dee

I just went to take another picture, but my batteries need recharging. Mine looks very purple compared to yours. Maybe it is just the age of the flower. Do these flowers turn more purple as they age?

Thank you BugFreak...I have such a short growing season I don't have time for experimentation!

Mine here are a deep blue almost like the anagallis monelli. It stays blue, I will just keep it in a pot as it won't be hardy here unless I bring it in.

Lenjo,
It won't come back for you if you plant it in the ground? Is it the rain during its dormacy that does it in or what do you think it is? I wouldn't think that it would actually freeze the ground in zone 8b would it?

I think they are darkest when they first open, and begin to lighten as they age. But I have had some that are darker when they aged so who can say. Maybe it has to do with fertilizer or sun.... :o)

.....well shoot even this one is not as dark.......get them batterys up Clair...let us see yours.... :o)
Dee

That's a really pretty vine. Is Select Seeds a mail order place or a local store where you are Lenjo?

Hi Dee! Well, there are no blooms today to shoot. The color is pretty much the same color as in my picture above. It's a purple color rather than a blue color. It could be just a shade darker than yours. You could be right that different environments could be affecting the color, or maybe there are different varieties as minigrannie said above. This one gets a lot of shade. Maybe it will be more blue when it grows some and reaches the top of the fence where more sun is.

Calalily, it is a mailorder and website. http://www.selectseeds.com/ I really love this catalog. I ordered tibouchina, senecio confusus plants from these guys too. I ordered the anagallis monelli seeds and they really did well. They try to do vintage/heirloom kind of things.

Bug Freak, I think my zone of 8b is probably inaccurate, most places categorize us as 8 but local garden centers here say more like 7. We can get fairly cold but we are very very wet in the winter.

Thanks Lenjo.

There are different varities so as not to confuse, this is a photo of Thumbergia Grandfloria. This is not my plant but a plant I photographed at a nursery. It was huge and I sure don't know how anyone would have taken it home. LOL :o)
It is also one of the really pretty flowered ones, I like the shape of this flower better than the Battiscombi....
What do yall think.......? :o)
Dee

There is another Thumbergia that was intered into the Plants Data base that I had missed until I registered to recive the daily e-mails. Yall might look at it.....
http://davesgarden.com/t/439514/

:o)
Dee

There is actually a white version of T.battescombie, but it doesn't look like much. Just white with pale yellow center. Seen it at local nursery.

Selectseeds is a great catalog! Love those oldies but goodies.

Hey, speaking of Thunbergias, check this out! Its T.coccinea. Anybody have one of these I will fall down and beg...

BTW here is the white T.erecta. Found it at Glasshouseworks.com

Delphi, OMGosh, if you find one of those I want one to..... OMGosh that is soooo pretty. Where did you see this or did you just see a photo of one.... :o)
Dee

I'm really enjoying my T.Grandiflora. :) It bloomed at quite a small size.

Thanks, guys. I knew there were other Thunbergias, but I was wondering if there are varying shades of the Thunbergia battescombi because mine looks distinctly purple while the other poster's look more blue. Delphinium, the one you have labeled as T. coccinea actually looks like Thunbergia mysorensis. Logee's sells that one if you are interested.

oh wow, I've been wanting that plant Thumbergia Grandfloria/blue sky vine. They are so pretty.

I saw some at GreenThumb/GreenArrow nursery today. They had one-gallon containers for $9.99. Their flowers were the same color purple as mine. I remember seeing some TB a lot more blue so I wonder if the weather is a factor.

Clare and Willow...

I saw this one at www.glasshouseworks.com. It's not too expensive - still thinking about it. Postage is pretty high though. I am going to check out Logees...

My TB is distinctly blue-violet, not true blue like TG, although you would think it was blue till you compare. Isn't there also a small leaved bushy form of TB that makes same flower only smaller?

Almost Eden also carries it for $10, but they are out of stock right now: http://almostedenplants.com/mall/vine_directory.asp

Kartuz has the Thunbergia mysorensis and the Thunbergia grandiflora: http://www.kartuz.com/floweringvines.html

I just love the pic of the T Battiscombii, I cannot find them in my area. Would anyone be willing to sell me a cutting? I hear you can just cut off a piece and it will root. They are sooooo beautiful

I have tried to root T. battiscombii all winter with no success, but I did get a cutting to root last year. My plant is just coming back after having a rough winter. Logee's has a 2.5" pot of it for $7.95, which is where I got mine: http://www.logees.com/products.asp?dept=152

This is my first "Battiscombi" bloom of the season. I was really surprised this one made it throught the cold and snow last winter. It was in a 5 gallon pot and I layed it down on its side by the Dutchmans pipe and cover them both with straw..............It worked they both survived.

I have tried several times to root a cutting but so far none have made it.

Racer,
I have thisone and I've had the best luck rooting it. I used the peat rooting thingies that have the net that keep the peat together. They look like little hockey pucks until you add the water to them and they swell up. I've also used just plain peat based potting soil with the pearlite mixed in it. Once mine takes off and grows I'll be happy to send you some for SASE or trade. Good luck but remember that if you DON'T find any we'll work something out later.

That is a beautiful color, Dee!