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Acanthaceae
King's Mantle
Thunbergia erecta
Royalty and dignity.
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Genus
- Thunbergia
- Native to
- West Africa, Tropical Africa
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Type
- evergreen shrub
- Height
- 4-8 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- well-drained, rich, loamy
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 10-12
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The genus is named after Carl Peter Thunberg, an 18th-century Swedish botanist known as the 'Father of South African botany.'
- The trumpet-shaped flowers have a striking contrast between the deep purple petals and bright yellow throat.
- Unlike its relative Black-eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata), King's Mantle grows as a freestanding shrub rather than a climber.
- In tropical gardens it can bloom nearly year-round, with peak flowering during the warm rainy season.
- The flowers are popular with large butterflies and hummingbirds, which can reach the nectar in the long floral tubes.
Color meanings
0
regal bearing
1
noble character