Jade Vine
Strongylodon macrobotrys
Family: Leguminosae
Description
The Jade Vine is named for its spectacular hanging trusses of blooms, up to 3m in length, that are made up of a chain of luminous blue-green finger-length, claw-like flowers. It is a truly dramatic tropical woody climber, with winding stems that scramble up adjacent trees to heights of up to 20 metres. It has compound leaves, typical of the pea family, but with only three large leaflets (c.25cm long).
Place of origin
The Jade Vine is native to the rainforests of the Philippines. It is considered threatened due to the destruction of its native environment.
Did you know?
In the wild, the Jade Vine is pollinated by bats, which are drawn to the glowing luminosity of the flowers at twilight. The bat hangs upside down and drinks the nectar from the flowers while brushing the top of their heads against the pollen. That pollen is then left on the female part of the next flower the bat visits, and pollination takes place. If the pollination is successful, the plant produces fruit up to the size of a melon in the wild. In the glasshouses the horticulturists mimic the action of the bats head with their hands in order to pollinate the jade vine. We have two plants in the glasshouses, one in the Orchid House and the other is in the Wet Tropics House.