Araujia sericifera

Plant of the month: August

Araujia sericifera

Also known as: Cruel plant

Native to: South America

Blooms: Summer to autumn

Habitat: Wastelands, forests and rocky places or cliffs

Where is it found at BBG: Mediterranean House

 

This semi-evergreen climber can grow up to many metres tall with irritant, milky white sap. It has pretty, white, fragrant, chalice shaped flowers, tinged with pink.

 

Commonly named ‘Cruel Plant’, the flowers inner parts clamp onto the proboscides (tongues) of nocturnal moths, trapping them until dawn. The moths are released in the morning after the plant has been pollinated by them thoroughly. After pollination the flowers develop into impressive pear shaped fruits up to 10cm in length. These are definitely not for eating though, as the skin has irritant sap and inside is no flesh but hundreds of black seeds attached to silky white hairs. The hairs enable the seeds to be carried on the wind similar to dandelion clocks. These seeds can be sown on a well-drained compost in a greenhouse or on a windowsill during spring.