Clerodendron thomsoniae - Bleeding heart vine
Family Verbenaceae

Description:

Approximately 400 species of Clerodendron are native to Africa and Asia. Most are shrubby plants. Several species are cultivated for their attractive flowers. This native of Africa is a slender vine that climbs by twining. Flowers are in clusters along the stems. What looks like an individual flower is a set of white bracts from which a red flower emerges. The bracts remain attractive after the flower falls off.

Both the typical green-leafed variety and a form with variegated leaves are planted on campus.

Location:

See plants in Founders Plaza between Buildings 1 and 2.

Size:

Herbaceous vine with stems that climb or trail about fifteen feet.

Care Instructions:

Light: sun to part shade

Water: somewhat drought tolerant when established

Soil: adaptable to a wide range of soils

In north Florida, bleeding heart vine is evergreen in mild winters but will die to the ground in cold winters, recovering the following spring. It is a strong grower that can spread by underground shoots and by shoots that root as they grow over the ground.