Thunbergia togoensis?

At the university plant show today, I purchased what was labeled as "Blue Sky Vine" Tunbergia. However, before putting it in the ground, I looked at the PlantFiles here and was surprised at the difference in colors of the blooms.

I think what I have is "Clock vine" -- Thunbergia togoensis (the blooms are a very dark purple with yellow throats)...

Anyway, I bought it thinking it was more of a mounding shrub than a vine -- it was staked in the pot -- but when I pulled the stakes and it flopped over completely, well... now I'm thinking it really needs a trellis.

Can anyone verify what I have? And... what happens it to it if it doesn't have a trellis?

TIA.

Or maybe Thunbergia battiscombei?

Hi ShelfLife, what a beauty you have there! I am a big Thunbergia fan and have/had several of them. I think the easiest way to tell them apart is the leaf. I snapped a couple pics for you to use for reference. This is the leaves on my T. Battiscombei

edited for spelling


This message was edited Jul 9, 2006 6:07 PM

and here are the leaves on my Thunbergia Togoensis.
Hope that helps you narrow it down.

From what I can see of the leaves, I would say Battiscombei. The T. Erecta Kings Mantle is supposed to be a dark blue too, but that is one I just got this year and it has not bloomed yet so I can't tell you for certain. But I do know it has smaller leaves like the togoensis. I have my Battescombii's on trellis's, they are small yet but have been blooming. I will probably have to tie them to the trellis, but I bought them for that so I am happy. Seems to me I read somewhere that you can just let them flop and they will mound. Can't hurt to try it. :~)
Good luck,
Donna
edited for spelling.

This message was edited Jul 9, 2006 6:07 PM

Well, unless mine is on mega-steroids, definitely NOT togoensis --my leaves are much, much too big (see pic).

Since you know these guys (I'd never seen one before today) -- am I right that the color is off for T. grandiflora? Or do the colors vary enough that it could be? The pic below is a pretty accurate representation of the color (dark purple).

And will he do okay in filtered/light shade with MAYBE an hour of sun per day?

Donna, thanks -- I was typing while you were posting. ;)

I've about committed to going with a trellis -- I think he'll look better that way... just took some thinking for me to get my mind there, because it wasn't what I bought him for... but I'd still like him to be in the "filtered/light shade with MAYBE an hour of sun per day" -- if that will work for him...

I have my Battiscombei in full sun, you are in my zone so you know what that can be like. Very intense, but it seems to like it. You can always try it and see how it does and if it seems unhappy, move it. It looks like yours is a very mature plant so it probably has a very healthy root system and will adapt if possible to whatever conditions you give it. I know my Thunbergia Natalensis & Erecta Fairy Moon are both on the east side of the house under a shadecloth roof and they are not rebelling at the shady conditions, the natalensis is actually blooming, so they can't be THAT unhappy!
The grandiflora is a lighter blue, not the deep intense blue of yours. And the flowers are really big on the grandiflora too. I got rid of my grandiflora's because they were monsters. Really big and aggressive. I was having to cut it out of the walkway & pull then down out of the eaves every week. I finally got tired of it, they have a really short bloom time in comparison to the other T's and it was just not worth it to me. So if you decide to get the grandiflora make sure you have a roof or arbor that it can engulf. Literally. LOL
I think you will be very happy with your purchase, but I may be slightly swayed by my love for Thunbergia's. They are just fascinating to me. Best of luck to you!
Donna

Thanks, Donna -- you've been a huge help. Though I was thrown by the Vine That I Didn't Know Was A Vine, I'm actually quite excited about this one... I've got some work to do on his trellis, but will get him set up in a couple of days and post a pic or two.

You are very welcome and I was happy to be able to help.
I look forward to seeing what you do. Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be pretty, with those flowers, how could it be anything but? :~)

Hi, I must agree with the group, I belive yours is Thumbergia Battiscombi.. This is my Battiscombi and it is just the so pretty. I have had this plant for about 3 years and have even been able to seperate it and send it out to family and friends. Unfortunatuly I have never gotten a single seed from it.

Dee

Hi Dee, do you have yours in sun or shade, as a bush or a vine? Loevely picture!

Hi Donna, My Battiscombi is in a big pot and I move it around the yard. I don't let it stay in to much sun as I have found this will cause it to have less blooms. I guess it just gets to hot. The leaves will begin to turn yellow and the buds it has will drop. As soon as I move it to a little cooler spot (No more than 3 hrs sun per day) it will perk up. I have done this the past 3 years and it has thrived.

I almost lost it before I figured out what the problem was.
LOL......
Dee

Ooh, that's good news, Dee... mine's going in a cool spot.

Donna, I was travelling the past couple of days and got to visit a few nurseries on the east coast (I'm on the west) -- actually saw what I immediately recognized (from your pics -- even though it wasn't labelled) as T. togoensis... nearly IDENTICAL bloom to mine, but those tiny leaves are sure a giveaway once you've seen them. I was tempted to pic one up, but I've got a number of plants waiting to go in the ground already...

Not that that stopped me from picking up some little ferns... but they're small and don't require digging a big hole.
That rationalization made sense at the time I was buying them. ;)

such control! Good for you. I bet you saw a lot of things that you can't find locally, huh? I think I would have had to leave my clothes behind to use my luggage for plants. LOL
I totally agree about buying small, I hate digging holes bigger then 4in pots. About 10 years ago I got the brilliant idea to put weedblock fabric down and put several inches of black lava rock over it...just brilliant. Then a few years later I was bitten by the gardening bug and have been reminded everytime I plant something what a bonehead idea it was. LOLOL

>> I bet you saw a lot of things that you can't find locally, huh?

Surpsingly, no... I was hugely disappointed, lol... hauled myself to seven different nurseries and found next to nothing different from here. In fact, the T. togoensis was my ONLY interesting find of the day. I think I may be spoiled by a local nursery I discovered -- it specializes in native plants and while it's a small nursery it has a great variety of plants I haven't seen elsewhere.

lol about the weedblock. I was fortunate enough to have a bad experience with a landscaper putting down black plastic a long long time ago -- I've managed to avoid all weed blockers ever since... I was tempted a couple of times, but the lasting images of that #$%@ plastic flapping around in the breeze and peeking out from under mulch and dirt has always served me well.

OH no, how disappointing! That is really too bad. Well, at least you have a good one near you, that helps I guess.
LOL about the black plastic, I have seen that flapping around in beds too. Dreadful. LOL

I have this plant too. I've had this plant for 2 years now. I let it go dormant last winter and thought I lost it. It didn't start to sprout until June. It only gets 2-3 hours of sun between 4-7pm. It has lots of blooms.

Well, I think after reading this thread, I have my Rangoon Creeper & my Skyflower Vines in places they should not be.
I bought my 2 acres little over 2 yrs ago & moved out here with a 26' box van full of plants. Deer have relieved me of more than half of the plants.
But after they ate all the leaves of my Skyflowers, I put up 5' chicken wire around the whole 7' arch I wanted them to cover. I planted White SV on each end of the arch. One didn't make thru what little winter we had so I replaced it with a blue one.
Both have climbed almost to the top of the arch but no flowers on the white one but some flowers on the blue.
I think I need to dig up my RC, move it over to where the SVs are in full sun. And then move the SVs, to some shade where the RC is.
Thanks for the help.

I live in zone 8 almost zone 9. I have a Thunbergia shrub and a vine, with the same brilliant bluish purple blooms. I have had many blooms in almost full sun.

Well, mine is still in its shady spot and has bloomed all summer long ... up until about a week ago.

And I finally got the trellis up!

what a pretty trellis! and congrats on all your blooms. :~)

Thanks!

A nursery nearby is closing soon and having quite the sale -- today I got what I believe is a very healthy 2' tall Thunbergia togoensis for $6. It wasn't blooming, but it was labelled as thunbergia and it has the tiny little leaves -- are there other thunbergias with the small leaves?

yes, the erecta does, there is a blue and a white. Also called King's mantle. I took a pic for you to use for comparison, the Kings Mantle T. Erecta is on the and the T. Togoensis is on the right. You can see the leaves are a bit different. Good Luck with your ID! :~)

Thank you for the pics!

After looking at the leaves, I'm thinking it's the erecta, but could you take a look at the attached pic and let me know your thoughts?

Yes, I suspect you are right. It looks like erecta to me too. Did it say if it was white or blue? Either way, it will be a beauty! :~)

Didn't say if it was white or blue... hmmm... wish I knew because white fits better in one place in the yard and blue in another, lol... maybe I'll have to go back to the nursery and see if there are any blooms on the ground where these guys were... or perhaps the people who work there know, lol.