Fragrant Corkscrew Vine

The blooms are simply exquisite, shot with primrose and shell-pink tones against a silvery base. They are shaped something like a nautilus shell, with a thick, coiled center and delicately curved outer petals. Each 1 1/4- to 2-inch blossom is distinctively beautiful -- and you'll get masses of them over the bloomtime of this 20- to 25-foot vine! Starting in midsummer (when the serious heat arrives!), they arise in foot-long bunches up and down the stem, dangling enticingly from arbors or large hanging baskets! The foliage is lovely too -- 6 inches long, with three "fingers" and a soft, downy texture.

Fragrant Corkscrew Vine is actually a tropical perennial, so if you live in southern Florida or California you may enjoy blooms year-round. Elsewhere it is best treated as an annual. What a great source of late-season color! In the annual border, let it twine up a trellis behind Cleome Sparkler, lend its fragrance to the bold blooms of Zinnias, Marigolds, and Cosmos, and offer a color counterpart to foliage plants such as Purple Knight. It's also lovely in large containers with trailing Petunias!

Like most vines, Fragrant Corkscrew Vine prefers to be direct-sown into the warm spring soil, so wait until temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees F before planting. If you want to start the seeds indoors, I recommend using a large Jiffy pot or seed-starting tray rather than plugs (because the seed is large). Transplant when the vine is young to minimize root disturbance. As your Corkscrew Vine grows, keep it well watered and fertilize monthly. You may notice that the plant remains small until early to midsummer, then takes off quickly when the hottest weather arrives. Fragrant Corkscrew Vine is not troubled by pests or disease! Pkt is 5 seeds.