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Petrea volubilis

A tropical one, for once, spotted in the immaculate gardens of Reid's Palace Hotel at Funchal. I confess that many tropical flowers leave me unmoved: too gaudy, too theatrical. This had me hurrying over the lawn; a mass of soft blue twining high into a tree like a wisteria. The scarlet clerodendron alongside is perhaps a mistake; I should like the petrea alone in a green shade, perhaps beside a cooling waterfall.

Sadly, there is no chance of growing it here in the conservatory; it comes from Central America and would consider 60° F cool. Its name commemorates Lord Petre, that 18th century Essex nobleman whose collection of exotic plants had few rivals. Volubilis means twining. Did Petre, I wonder, heat an Essex greenhouse sufficiently to grow his flower?

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