17 May 2013

PETREA VOLUBILIS

It is not often that one gets to see the Sandpaper Vine/Purple Wreath in Singapore. Other than HortPark, the other place with an abundance of Petrea is the Indian Garden at Gardens by the Bay.

The leaves may be leathery with a sandpaper feel to it, but the bluish flowers are extraordinary since blue is an uncommon colour for flowers in the plant kingdom. When the inflorescences drooped over the trellis, as seen in the photos, they remind me of the Wisteria, which we cannot grow here in our tropical climate.