Vigna Species, Bertoni Bean, Corkscrew Vine, Snail Flower (Vigna caracalla)

by emmaregina1 Sep 17, 2006 10:08 PM

Image taken in Norwood, South Astralia (just outside Adelaide), 2002. This is by far one of the most amazing plants I have ever seen. Please note the ant (not sure on the particular species, but it's a fairly common-looking small black ant) for size comparison.

Buds! We'll have blooms soon. (July 14th, 2002, East TN).

As predicted, we have blooms! And the fragrance is absolutely out of this world!!

Started this from a tiny 1" tall plant. Hasn't bloomed yet, but thriving quite well and has grown significantly than this picture.

We planted this Snail Vine just 2 months ago and it's already grown 10 times it's original size.

Brand new seed pod! The flower fell off about a week after opening, revealing this pod.

This is about as loaded down as I've ever seen the Corkscrew Vine. In this picture you can see the blooms in every stage in which they may be found.

The seedpods are quickly fattening up. You can now see the bumps indicating the seeds within.

Bare root purchased from Monticello Thomas Jefferson Foundation.

This vine is a very fast grower and has an abundence of blooms. I had six seed (bean) pods last year. The seed are very easy to germinate.

just purchased from Lowe's and planted in ground just a day ago

Planted two of them on either side of a trellis and then painted a mural in the middle.

This snail vine was 1 gal size planted about 4 months ago in casa grande arizona.We planted 4 about 4 ft apart.Has made a very nice fence cover in a short time.

This snail vine was 1 gal size planted about 4 months ago in casa grande arizona.We planted 4 about 4 ft apart.Has made a very nice fence cover in a short time.flowers are never ending great color

The Snail

Started from a very small plant and took several years to bloom. First bloom year only provided about 6 flowers, but hope to see it expand in forthcoming years.

Photo, taken in the garden at Devon Nursery. Blenheim NZ

Photo taken at Devon nursery, Blenheim NZ

seedlings

snail vine flower

snail vine plant

Second year, first bloom, aphids already got to them..

This plant is just 1 plant that is 2 years old, I just let it go wild and prune when needed

Snail vine flower

Snail vine plant

Buds!

Snail vine with pod and pollinator

Second of only two flowers on my 1st year plant. Hopefully it will preform better next year!

Purple snail vine seeds vs. Corkscrew vine seeds

Seedlings-front left is a new sprout.

Test_phase1: 2005 seeds nicked x3 (03-10-05)

Test: Phase 2 Soaking seeds in warm H20 with soda bottle cloche on computer vent 3-10-05

Test: Phase 3 Germination after 2 days in H20 (water changed daily) 3-13-05

1 day from germination, leaves emerging from the seed.

Seedlings started in a popbottle greenhouse. Seem to be doing quite well.

Buds starting to form

Corkscrew vine (Vigna caracalla) buds ... anxiously anticipating their opening.

My vine is starting to bloom, so many buds are everywhere

This plant has come a long way since April. I've tried to put it outside but it doesn't like the Canadian climate. It's doing really well as an indoor tropical, however it hasen't had any blooms yet.

seedpods forming that are just about an inch long now....................

see the long thread like part of the seedpod, it's still got the spent blooms hanging on, this is how I found the seedpods :)

9-21-05 seedpods are now about 6 inches long.........

This is a 1 yr old plant I grew from seed. The boards the tubers are laying on are 6" wide for perspective.

Snail Vine blooms and buds. Mid Sept. in Z8.

corkscrew flower 1

Corkscrew flower buds

corkscrew vine with flowers

corkscrew

I wish I could upload the fragrance too! What an awesome and unusual flower to see!

The dog-trot between my house and my neighbor's, completely covered in snail vine.

snail vine in bloom 1

snail vine 2

This is a small vine that was doing great until I got ahold of it. Almost killed it with fertilizer. Here we are, 3 months later, and there's a good amount of new growth. Yay!!

I wondered if this thing would do what I wanted it to this year - cover up the ugly city electric pole in my yard. It is going to!!! This particular growth onto the pole happened in the last 3 days!

This plant was 10 inches tall when it arrived in June. It's now been about 6-7 weeks, and the thing has reached the top of my fence! With NO fertilizer.

2 new tendrils growing together on my Corkscrew Vine

Vigna Caracalla buds.

There is a nodule on bud clusters which exudes a liquid that attracts ants. Ants help in fertilizing the flowers.

You have to really uncoil the flower to get the yellow throat and the "corkscrew" that this flower is named after. I really wish we had scratch 'n sniff photos.

Unlike any blooms I have ever seen.

You can see the style, stigma and stamens inside the corkscrew structure. Note the open end.

Corkscrew structure cut away revealing the style, stigma and stamens.

vigna caracalla ~ zone 6b first blooms 9/29/07 ~ worth the wait!!!

closeup of bloom

Vine covered arbor

Flower Cluster

Pistil of Snail Vine - Close up of pistil with pollen.

My first bloom on a recently rooted cutting. Amazing how fast they grow!

a week old seedlings

...my first blooms in December...

Was cut to the ground in fall. This is one summer's growth. Lots of seed pods.

In bloom

Blooming in Colleen's Waihi garden, NZ

Vigna Corkscrew - Huntsville, AL 2015

Photo courtesy of Karl Gercens. Copyright Karl Gercens. Conservatory Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. http://www.karlgercens.com/

blooms

close up

Photo courtesy of Karl Gercens. Copyright Karl Gercens. Conservatory Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. http://www.karlgercens.com/

Magic Garden Nursery and Landscape. Photo courtesy of Karl Gercens. Copyright Karl Gercens. Conservatory Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. http://www.karlgercens.com