Growing: Clock Vine (Thunbergia)

Botanical Name:	Thunbergia alata
Life Cycle:	Annual, tropical tender perennial
Planting Time:	spring or summer
Height:	5' to 6'
Exposure:	full sun to light afternoon shade
Soil:	nutrient rich, moist soil
Hardiness:	9-11
Bloom Time:	summer to mid fall
Flower:	yellow and white
Foliage:	green
Propagation:	seeds or cuttings
Suggested Use:	arbors, trellises, walls, fences and hanging baskets
Growing Hints:	Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost or transplant seedlings 6 inches apart after night temperatures have reached at least 50º. Seedlings grow slowly, reaching 5 to 6 feet high with good supports. Vines flower poorly during high heat and humidity, but come back after the peak of summer heat subsides.
Interesting Facts:	There are nearly 100 different species of Thunbergia-both shrubs and vines. Species are native to Africa and India, where flowers on some species grow to several feet in length.

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By Ellen (Guest Post) 02/26/2006

valleyrimgirl,

Thanks so much for quickly catching some of these errors! They will be corrected as soon as possible! You are right about annuals not having hardiness zones. This particular species, Thunbergia alata, is an annual/tender perennial vine hardy to zones 9-11 (based on the USDA Hardiness Zone Map with 11 zones). Thanks again for keeping an eye out!

By 02/21/2006

An annual does NOT have a hardiness of all zones. This plant would die if it was outside all year round. The hardiness refers to the zone the plant can grow in OUTSIDE all year round. It's hardiness is zones 10 - 12 only.