Identification of climbers,

creepers, foliage and

flowering shrubs
Dr. P.Prashanth
Principal Scientist (Hort.)
SKLTSHU, HYDERABAD
 Adenocalymma alliaceum

Family: Bignoniaceae
Origin: Brazil
Common name: Garlic vine

Ever green climber, leaves are alternate

and compound
Suitable for walls, arches, pergola etc.
Pruning in January, Propagation – cutting
and layering
Leaves smell like garlic
Leaflets are 2 or 3, ovate, shining green and leathery
Flowers are bell shaped, lavender in colour and produced in November
 Antigonon leptopus

Family: Polygonaceae
Origin: South America
Common name: Coral vine/loves chain

Ever green, tuberous rooted and quick growing climber

Flowers are produced on recemes in white, rosy red and red
Flowering – Sep – Nov. Suitable – arches and pergolas
Prunning – Jan, Propagation - Seeds
Antigonon leptopus
Antigonon leptopus
Antigonon leptopus

Leaves are cordate in shape, rough and dull green

 Aristolochia grandiflora

Family: Aristolochiaceae
Origin: South America
Common name: Duck flower

Ever green climber

Leaves are simple, alternate, and cordate in shape
Flowers are big sized, white in colour with purple blotches
Flowers in September, flowers are of peculiar shape, and offensive odour
Propagation- Seeds, Suited for trellis, screens, walls, pergolas
Prunning- January
Leaves are simple, alternate, and cordate in shape
Flowers are big sized, white in colour with purple
blotches

Aristolochia grandiflora
 Bauhinia vahlii

Family: Leguminosae
Origin: India

Luxuriant grower, makes very fast growth

Leaves are big and bilobed
Flowers are creamish white and appear in April – May
Propagation – Seeds, Suitable – trained on trees or large stumps
Bauhinia vahlii

Leaves are big and bilobed

Bauhinia vahlii
 Beaumontia grandiflora

Family: Apocynaceae
Origin: Eastern India
Common name: Nepal Trumpet Creeper

Grows luxuriantly, climbs up to 15-20 m

Leaves are large, opposite and oblong ovate in shape
Flowers are big, bell shaped and white in colour
Flowers in March, Propagation – air layering,
Suitable for arches, pergolas to cover large area
Pruning – End of June
Flowers are big, bell shaped and white in colour
Beaumontia grandiflora
 Bignonia magnifica

Family: Begnoniaceae
Origin: Columbia & S. America

Ever green climber,

Leaves are opposite, compound consisting of 2 leaflets
Flowers are large funnel shaped, purplish violet in colour
Flowers in October-November
Propagation- Cuttings and layering,
Suitable – walls and arches, Pruning- January
 Bignonia magnifica

Leaves are opposite, compound consisting of 2 leaflets

Flowers are large funnel shaped, purplish violet in colour
 Bignonia gracilis

Family: Bignoniaceae
Origin: South America

Evergreen climber, produces yellow trumpet flowers

Flowers in March-April & July-August
Propagation-Seeds & layering
 Bougainvillea Sp.

Family: Nyctaginaceae
Origin: Brazil

There are about 150 var. in India

It can grown as bush, standard shrub, climber, hedge, pot plant, bonsai,
ground cover
Flowers are surrounded by colourful bracts
Appears in white, mauve, purple, deep purple, orange, red, scarlet, yellow
to crimson
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea
 Clematis panniculata

Family: Ranunculaceae

Origin: Himalayan region

Common name: Virgin bower

Leaves are opposite, compound, leaflets are 3 and 5 and

ovate – cordate in shape
Flowers – white and fragrant, in panicles
Flowering – July-August, Pruning – January
Propagation - Cuttings
Flowers – white and fragrant, in panicles Clematis panniculata
Clematis panniculata
 Cleredendron splendens

Family: Verbenaceae
Origin: Tropical Africa

Leaves are simple, opposite, big size,

with crinkled surface, and wavy margin
Flowers – deep red, clusters
Flowering – Dec – March
Suitable in semi-shade – North side
Propagated - cuttings

Cleredendron inerme
Good hedge plant, white fragrant
flowers
 Deep green foliage

Cleredendron splendens
Cleredendron splendens
 Clitoria ternatea

Family: Leguminose
Origin: India
Common name: Butter fly pea creeper

Light ever green climber

Flowers blue, white and purple
Propagation - seeds
Clitoria ternatea
 Ficus repens

Family: Moraceae
Origin: India
Common name: Indian Ivy

Ever green climber, planted for foliage

Climbs with rootlets as well as by
producing sticky substances
Planted against the wall
Prefers semi shady situation
Trimmed into different shapes.
Ficus repens
Ficus repens
 Hipatage benghalensis

Family: Malpighiaceae
Origin: India
Common name: Madhavi lata

Leaves are large, simple and dark green in colour

Flowers appears in February – March which are creamish white
and scented
It is easily propagated through seeds or layering
Pruning – end of June
Hipatage benghalensis
 Ipomea cairica

Family: Convolvulaceae
Origin: Tropics of both hemispheres
Common name: Railway creeper

Quick growing climber, covers large area in short span of time

Leaves palmate and light green in colour
Flowers large, round, have large corolla tube and purple in colour
Suitable – boundaries covering large areas as ground cover
Ipomea cairica
Ipomea cairica
 Jasminum grandiflorum

Family: Oleaceae
Origin: Himalayan region
Common name: Chemeli
Flowers – extraction of Jasmine concrete

Leaves compound, dark green

White fragrant flowers are produced from June to November (peak in
July – August)
Propagation – Cuttings & layering
Suitable – trellis, against walls near stinky places
 Jasminum officinale

Common name: Spanish jasmine

Origin: North India

Ever green and light climber

Leaves are compound and alternate
Leaflets are 5-7, Flowering – June - September
Propagation – Cuttings, Pruning – End of January
Suitable – Against walls, trellis, over trees
Leaves are compound and alternate
Leaflets are 5-7

Jasminum officinale
Jasminum officinale
Jasminum officinale
 Jasminum humile

Origin: Temperate region of Himalayas

Common name: Pili chameli

Leaves are alternate, compound and imparipinnate

Flowers are single and semi double, yellow in colour
Flowering – March (15-20 days)
Suitable – against walls and trellis
Propagation - Cuttings
Yellow flowers

Jasminum humile
 Lonicera japonica

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Origin: Japan and China
Common name: Japanese honey suckle

Leaves are opposite, ovate or oblong ovate

Flowers are white, changing to yellow, highly
fragrant
Flowering – May - June
Lonicera japonica
 Passiflora laurifolia

Family: Passifloraceae
Origin: South America
Common name: Phoolghari

Heavy climber, leaves alternate and divided into 3 deeply cut lobes
Flowers – solitary, terminal or axillary, purple in colour
Propagation – Seeds or layers
Passiflora laurifolia
Passiflora laurifolia
Petrea volubilis

Family: Verbenaceae
Origin: Tropical America
Common name: Purple Wreath

Ever green climber, with greyish bark

Leaves opposite elliptic or ovate
Light green and highly rough
Propagation – layering and suckers

Suitable – walls or in shrubbery

Flowers – Star shaped in blue colour Petrea volubilis
Flowering – April- May on long spikes
Star shaped blue flowers Petrea volubilis
 Pyrostegia venusta

Family: Bignoniaceae
Origin: Brazil
Common name: Golden Shower

Evergreen woody climber

Leaves compound and deep green
Two leaf lets and terminal leaflet converts into tendrils
Rich orange colour tubular flowers on drooping cymes, covers the foliage in Feb –
March, Propagation – Ground layering
Suitable – Walls, pergolas, trellis, boundary wall, and screening large area
Pruning – End of June
Pyrostegia venusta
 Porana panniculata

Family: Convolvulaceae
Origin: India
Common name: Bridal bouquet

Ever green climber, Leaves – alternate, cordate, light green

Flowers – Small funnel shaped, scented and produced in sprays
Suitable – walls, pergola and trellis
Propagation - Cuttings
 Quisqualis indica

Family: Combretaceae
Origin: Malaya
Common name: Rangoon creeper
Jhoomeka Bel

Evergreen, hardy climber

Leaves opposite, oblong or elliptic
Flowers – axillary / terminally in pendulous recemes
Flowers are first white later change to pink or red
Propagation – cuttings / suckers
Suitable – walls, trellis, trees, Pruning – End of January
Quisqualis indica
Quisqualis indica
 Thunbergia grandiflora

Family: Acanthaceae
Origin: Eastern India
Common name: Sky Flower

Vigorous climber
Leaves - opposite, ovate, cordate,
toothed or lobed
Flowers – blue, solitary,
Flowering – Feb-March & July – sep.
Propagation – seeds, cuttings,
layerings
Suitable – trellis, pergola, trees
 Leaves - opposite, ovate, cordate, toothed or lobed
Thunbergia grandiflora
Thunbergia grandiflora
 Trachelospermum jasminoides

Family: Apocynaceae
Origin: China
Common name: Star jasmine

Ever green climber,

Leaves opposite, elliptic or oblong
Flowers – small, star shaped, white and fragrant
Flowering – May – June
Propagation – Semi hard wood cuttings
Prefers partial shade
Pruning – End of January
Flowers – small, star shaped, white and fragrant
Flowering – May – June
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Trachelospermum jasminoides
 Vernonia elaegnifolia

Family: Compositae
Origin: South America

Ever green climber,

Light green foliage on elegant drooping/hanging branches
Leaves simple and opposite
Flowers white in colour
Propagation – Cuttings
Suitable – Porch, balcony wall, against pillar, walls and as screening
Pruning – according to need
Elegant drooping/hanging branches

Vernonia elaegnifolia
 Wisteria sinensis

Family: Luguminoseae
Origin: China and Japan
Common name: Grape flower vine

Winter deciduous woody climber

Leaves alternate and imperipinnate
Leaflets 7-9 and ovate, Flowers – purple colour
Flowering – March in deciduous condition
Propagation – cutting
Suitable – pergola, trellis or trees
Pruning – End of January
Flowering – March in deciduous condition – on trellis
Wisteria sinensis
Wisteria sinensis
Wisteria sinensis
 Solanum seaforthianum

Family: Solanaceae
Origin: West Indies
Common name: Blue potato creeper

Light, woody and ever green climber

Leaves – alternate, compound with 3 leaflets
Flower – purple blue flowers resembling potato in several flushes in a year
on axillary drooping panicles
Propagation - Layering
Suitable - against walls