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Merremia tuberosa commonly known as Hawaiian Woodrose or Brazilian Jalap, is a tropical or subtropcical vine and is likely to flower only in the climates of zones 8 to 11 where summers are long and hot. It can grow to 30 ft. or more and can bloom profusely with yellow 2 inch funnel-shaped flowers. Seed pods, when opened, resemble handcrafted wooden roses and are used in dried arrangements. Seeds are black, with velvet coat. Leaves are deeply cut and can vary in color from a light yellow-green to a deeper green or even reddish green depending on amount of sunlight. Hawaiian Woodrose Vine can quickly cover a fence or trellis but may bloom slowly, if at all, during the summer in colder climate zones. It can tolerate some shade but grows best in full sun. If winters are mild enough, even in zone 6, plants may recover from tuberous root the following spring. Digging up the tuber in autumn and storing it indoors in a cool location for the winter will guarantee luxurient summertime growth year after year.
The specimen shown above was photographed in Louisville, Kentucky, zone 6, in the summer of 2003.
© 2004 Michael King
