The Flame Vine - PYROSTEGIA venusta (pronounced- pye-roe-STEEG-ee-uh ven-NUSS-tuh

Greek pyr, meaning “fire” and stege, meaning “covering”
Native to central South America (Brazil, northeastern Argentina, Paraguay)

This is a fast growing evergreen vine that can grow up to 80 feet long, so be sure you have plenty of room and strong support for this one.

This particulare flame vine, PYROSTEGIA venusta, always better to use the botanical name, is from the Bignoniaceae family, which strangely enough, so is the Purple-Flowered Jacaranda (Jacaranda jasminoides), which is also a vine, and the Blue Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) which is the tree.

This vine attaches itself by tendrils to just about anything. The flowers are 2-3 inch long tubular flowers that are in groups of 20 individual flowers and has 4 petals. It is related to the trumpet creeper vine (Campsis radicans) and the crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) both native to SE United States.

They are very popular with the hummingbirds, in-fact co-evolved with them. By this I mean, they will propagate much better if pollinated by the hummingbird. The nectar is at the base of tubular flower which is in the same proportion to the hummingbirds long beak and the pollen automatically gets dusted on the birds forehead, which then pollinates the next flower. Other birds need to tear open the base of the flower in order to get the nectar and little if any pollination occurs.

If you would like to propagate this vine; propagate from the semi-hard cuttings in summer.

(P.S....know why hummingbirds prefer red flowers? Because there is 30% more sugar in the red flowers. The hummingbirds locate their nectar by color not scent.