Woody > Combretum > Combretum indicum > Combretum indicum
Combretum indicum
Origin: Native to china, Philippines, and Papau New Guinea.
Mike's
Opinion
"
This plant puts on a great show when it is in bloom, with its stunning star-shaped, fragrant flowers clusters of various colours. It is a vigorous growing plant that grows as a shrub initially and turns into climbing vines twirling around the support. It is considered an invasive species out of its native habitat.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Combretaceae |
| Genus |
| Combretum |
| Species |
| indicum |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10 - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Grow under glass |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1b - H3 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-10) - (-1) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 30 - 50 |
| Height |
| 2.5 - 8 m |
| Spread |
| 6 - 9 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| It is an excellent vine, which can reach from 2.5 m to 8 m. It has unique flowers which change colour from white to pink, and eventually red. Flowers are very fragrant and tubular. |
| Landscape |
| This plant can be used in several ways in the landscape. It can be used as an ornamental plant over arbors, pillars, arches, over a pergola, espaliered, or trained as a specimen plant in a container. It is also used as a hedge plant in various parts of the world. It can also be grown in the form of a fence. |
| Cultivation |
| The plant can thrive in most soils; however, well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soils are best. It is pH adaptable. It grows best in soils with 5.5-6.5 pH. It is slightly salt tolerant. The plant likes full sun but can also survive in partial shade. |
| Shape |
| The plant has upright growth with a twining vine which needs support. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| It is a stunning plant when in bloom. It bears three different coloured, fragrant flowers-- white, pink and dark red. On the first day, flowers are white; turning pink on the next day, and eventually dark red on the third day. Changing colours is a strategy used by the plant to attract different types of pollinators. Leaves are simple, opposite, and ovate, and are slightly stinky to keep rabbits and deer away. |
| Pests |
| Scales and caterpillars can cause damage occasionally. It can also be a host for aphids, nematodes, fungi, and various crop viruses. |
| Habitat |
| In China, C. indicum is found growing on a wide range of habitats like rainforests, low woods, thickets, hedges, mountains, dry hillsides, riversides, roadsides, and wastelands. In the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, the species can be seen growing along primary forest margins and in secondary forest and woodlands, alongside riverbanks, and around old settlements as a weed. C. indicum is also found growing in the plains of Pakistan. It is also reported to be found in disturbed areas of the Amazonian region of Peru. In Australia, this plant occurs alongside creeks and on rocky foreshores. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Bark is medium-thick, pubescent (fine yellow hairs), and green when young, turning tan-brown when mature. The bark is not of great interest when the plant is in the dormant phase. The bark is twisted and curls around the support. Shoots are cold hardy but only in the tropics. Even light frost can injure the shoots. The roots however, are harder. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Flower buds can be light pink or whitish in colour. They are borne on tube-like structures which are 10-12 cm long and are elongated in shape. The whorl of calyx holds the flower buds together. Leaf buds are around 10cm long, light yellow- to light greenish in colour, and round. |
| Leaf Description |
| Leaves are simple, entire, elliptical to oblong-elliptic, glabrous, with a rounded base, and are oppositely or sub-oppositely arranged on the stem. Leaves can be 10 cm in size and possess palmate venation. Leaves are finely pubescent on the lower side. They are stinky when bruised, which is the strategy used to keep deer and rabbits away. Leaves can vary in colour from green to yellowish-green. |
| Flower Description |
| Flowers are star-shaped and 9-12 cm, and are produced in hot weather (May to September), becoming the most noticeable feature of the plant. The plant bears flowers in tight clusters, borne on long, slender tubes (5-9 cm) with five petals at the apex. The flowers are fragrant with a fruity smell and are more fragrant during nighttime. Flowers are produced on both terminal buds and in axils of leaves. The flowers have a 3-days life cycle. They open at dusk with white petals, then changing to light pink and finally, dark red or maroon on the last day before it dies. This colour-changing feature is the strategy used by the plant to attract various kinds of pollinators. White colour attracts flying moths like hawkmoths. Pink and red attract other types of pollinators like flying bees and birds. Flowers also change their orientation from horizontal to drooping. |
| Fruit Description |
| Fruit is ellipsoidal, leathery, and has 5 prominent wings. The fruit is 2.5- 3 cm long. It tastes like almonds and is green when tender; but on maturity, it turns black. The fruit is pentagonal in shape. |
| Colour Description |
| Bark is bright to medium green in colour when young, but changes to tan-brown when it matures. Leaves are green to yellowish-green in colour. Flowers have three distinct colours-- white, pink, and dark red. Fruits are bright green when immature, but turn to dark brown or black as they mature. |
| Texture Description |
| Rangoon creeper is a moderately coarse-textured plant. |
| Notable Specimens |
| There are 19 botanical gardens which contain specimens of C. indicum. One is found in Manie van der Schijff Botanical Garden, University of Pretoria. |
| Propagation |
| Rangoon creeper can be propagated easily through stem cuttings. Steps are as follows. Take a cutting of 6-7 cm length. The cutting should be harder and woodier, and should possess several leaf nodes. Avoid cuttings with flower buds. Keep the cutting in moist, not saturated soil in the planting tray. Place the tray with cutting in filtered light or partial shade. Sprinkle water 2-3 times a day. Make sure no leaves drop by inspecting every two weeks. If leaves drop, it denotes that cutting will not root and you will need another cutting. After rooting, take the cutting out of the planting tray and put it in the planting pot. Use fresh potting soil. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| The juice of the leaves is useful in the treatment of skin problems like boils and ulcers. They can also provide relief from headaches. Tea made by boiling leaves of this plant can treat Dysuria or painful urination. Dried seeds can be beneficial in the treatment of intestinal worms and parasites. Roasted fruits help in the treatment of diarrhea and fever. Fruits also aid in reducing the inflammation of the kidneys. Fruit decoction can be used for gargling. In the Philippines, it is used for curing cough and as a vermifuge. In Thailand, the plant has edible fruit that tastes like almonds, and flowers are eaten. In Indonesia, young shoots are consumed either raw or after steaming. The plant is grown to produce drugs and as a leafy vegetable in tropical Africa and some parts of Southeast Asia. The long and flexible stems of the plant are used to make baskets, and fish weirs |
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