Trumpets

This is one of the first plants I learnt when I was studying plant identification at tafe, back in the once upon a time. It is an Orange Trumpet Vine, botanical name is Pyrostegia venusta.  I love the fact that its botanical name is very descriptive of what the plant is. Pyro means fire, Stege means cover and venusta means pleasing. It is a visually stunning plant when in bloom, as it is awash with these vibrant orange blossoms that honey eaters adore. It is an extremely vigorous climber, and I dont say that lightly. It will cover entire fence lines or trees, tangling onto itself. So I stress, keep it in check and if you dont have room for it to spread, then dont grow it. I remember when I first met my stepdad, he had it growing up a wall along the side of his house that would cop the afternoon sun. The plant was a good 50cm thick, yet no matter how hot the day got, the wall underneath that climber was always cool, which in turn kept the adjacent rooms cool, and his yard always had honey eaters that would drop in for a drink from this beautiful plant.