Jade Vine Still Blooming
Just an update: I thought it was finishing (first photo above), this green-blossomed liana of a legume shows that it has the long haul in mind. I’ve discovered that there are several more inflorescences on the jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) and that you might be able to see it bloom either upstairs or down in the Conservatory. The staff and volunteers at the Information Desk assure me they have people come and ask about the “green flowers” or “every-nine-years vine,” so I know people are interested. Just to clarify, it took nine years of growing before it bloomed. Will it bloom next year? We have to wait and see.
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Matt,
I wanted to say thanks for the posts about the Jade Vine. I now check it out every visit to see how it has changed. Here are links to two close-up photographs if you are interested:
http://www.pbase.com/farawaysoclose/image/95593573
http://www.pbase.com/farawaysoclose/image/95259873
You are correct, it is very difficult to photograph! I still can’t figure out how to shoot an entire cluster of flowers.
I believe I read that the vine is supposed to produce a fruit. Can you shed any light on this? Can we expect to see fruit on the vine in the near future?
With a handshake in thought,
John
John, beautiful photography.
Hi John- Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll see fruit on this one because it has a very specific pollinator: a bat. With no one to pollinate them, the flowers are for our enjoyment only rather than continuation of the species. There are quite a few plants in the Conservatory that don’t produce fruit after flowering because of a lack of a specific pollinator.
Matt and/or John,
Those are georgeous pictures. I am interested in knowing if you would be interested in collaborating in a photo/painting project. I am a student in the Botanical Illustration program at DBG. I have tried taking pictures for reference to paint these flowers, but lack the proper camera for pictures of this nature. Please let me know if this is something possible and how to proceed with this idea.
Thanks,
Joan
It is good to see that your jade vine is growing so well. I work at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden south of Miami. Our jade vine is growing outdoors on a pergola. Last year we had dozens of fruits, this year not a one. It is difficult to capture the true color of this inflorescence! So amazing! Keep up the good work!
Joan,
You can leave me a message on the pbase web site (links posted above) with your email address and we can talk outside of this forum. I’m not certain how much time I would be able to commit to a project but will help if I can.
Thanks everyone for the kind words and information.
With a handshake in thought,
John