| Description | Snail Flower (Vigna caracalla) A tropical vine producing pink to white flowers. Flower buds are twisted and look like a snail. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (VIG-na) |
| Plant Type | Perennial Tender, Vines, Tropical herbaceous plants |
| Hardiness Zone | 9-12 |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Temperature | not frost tolerant |
| Flowers | pink, curl in a manner somewhat resembling a snail’s shell, can be pollinated by ants, buds resemble a corkscrew or snail., fragrance depends on the nose of the smeller |
| Fruit | bean-like pods, rounded seeds |
| Leaves | 3 leaflets, green, evergreen in frost-free zones |
| Stems | twinning vine |
| Roots | tuberous |
| Dimensions | 6-8 feet or probably more depending on the hardiness zone |
| Maintenance | in frost-free zones, it can reseed and become aggressive, must provide a supporting structure |
| Propagation | seeds |
| Native Site | tropical areas of Central and South America |
| Misc Facts | In 1792, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Benjamin Hawkins, “The most beautiful bean in the world is the Caracalla bean which, though in England a greenhouse plant, will grow in the open air in Virginia and Carolina.” AKA: corkscrew vine, corkscrew flower, SYN: Cochliasanthus caracalla |
| Notes & Reference | #62-Manual of Climbers and Wall Plants (J K Burras, Mark Griffiths), #144-Missouri Botanical Gardens web site (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org), #150- Armitage's Vines and Climbers (Alan Armitage) |
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