If one looks at the first photo of the area near the koi pond, it is not surprising to miss an interesting sight that I want to draw attention to.
But if you look closely at one of the trellises that rises from the pond and goes over the footbridge that connects Colonial Garden (Heritage Gardens) and Discover Garden (World of Plants), you will notice a splash of fiery orange against a mass of green leaves. The colour reminds one of the flowers of Spathodea campanulata (Common Name: African Tulip; Family: Bignoniaceae) but a Spathodea it is most certainly not.
If you are able to look at the flowers closely, you will find that it is growing from the tropical woody vine commonly known as the Scarlet Jade Vine or New Guinea Creeper (Scientific Name: Mucuna bennettii; Family: Fabaceae), which is less common compared to the green Jade Vine (Scientific Name: Strongylodon macrobotrys). This highly sought after climber produces thick woody stems over time with clusters of foot long cascading inflorescences supporting crescent-shaped orange flowers which contrast brilliantly against the backdrop of green leaves, where each single leaf is individually made up of 3 separate leaflets.In time to come, when this vine matures and covers the span of the footbridge, I am certain the blooming would be a more spectacular event not to be missed.
