Purple Bignonias

The clusters of purple to purplish-pink 3" wide trumpet-shaped flowers have a contrasting white ring surrounding the yellow throats that are lined with fine magenta lines to guide large bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the nectar and pollen reward inside. The Glowvine, Bignonia magnifica, is a highly desirable and exceptionally free flowering, naturally evergreen tropical vine with unusual pairs of medium green oval leaflets that are centered by its grasping tendrils. Once mature, these easy-to-grow vigorous vines can flower continuously throughout the year under warm tropical conditions. The Glowvine (a.k.a. Glow Vine) can be trained as a shrub and overwintered indoors with regular pruning or allowed to cover fences, trellises, and arbors in tropical regions.

This was once the sole plant in the genus Saritaea but apparently has been moved back into the genus Bignonia, depending on what resource you use.

A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love. – Max Muller

The stems are almost round in cross-section, and are marked with longitudinal stripes. The 10 cm leaves have two leaflets and a further two leaflet-like appendages at the base of the leaf stalk, plus a tendril at the tip. The leaves are smooth and leathery. The plant is a very spectacular flowering, evergreen tropical climber. The large heads of showy rosy mauve to purple coloured, bell-shaped flowers 8 cm long with hairy yellow throat, borne at the end of the branches often display all year-round. When in flower it is regarded as one of the outstanding climbers of the world.