Scientific: Pandorea jasminoides (Synonyms: Bignonia jasminoides, Gelseminum jasminodes, Tecoma jasminoides)
Common: Bower vine, pink Bower vine
Family: Bignoniaceae
Origin: Rain forests of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia and northern New Zealand.
Pronounciation: Pan-DOR-e-a jas-min-OYE-dez
Hardiness zones:
Sunset 13, 19-27
USDA 8 (with protection), 9-11
Landscape Use: Bower vine is great for covering abors, trellis and protected green walls; requires some support. With work Bower vine can be trained into a shrub form.
Form & Character: Rapidly spreading, sprawling, clean and robust, sub-tropical to tropical in appearance, needs support.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, woody, broadleaf perennial vine, moderately fast growth rate to 20 feet or more.
Foliage/Texture: Glabrous, odd-compound green leaves, five to nine leaflets that are each 1- to 2-inches long; medium texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Terminal tubular flowers, five white petals with a pink to deep red throat, flowers singular or in clusters; fruits are an elongated pod.
Seasonal Color: In Phoenix, Bower vine flowers mostly during spring and occassionally autumn.
Temperature: Hardy to 20o to 25oF, sensitive to reflected heat and western exposures in Phoenix
Light: Full sun to filtered shade, will take some reflected sunlight.
Soil: Well-drained soil, requires consistent fertility.
Watering: Regularly irrigate in Phoenix because Bower vine needs an evenly moist soil for best performance.
Pruning: Prune in late summer or immediately after bloom in spring to control shape and spread.
Propagation: Softwood cuttings in late spring to early summer, layering anytime.
Disease and Pests: Nematodes
Additional comments: Bower vine is not common in Phoenix landscapes, even though it is generally fast-growing, hardy (provided adequate supplemental water is provided) and easy to cultivate.
Common named cultivars include: