Millettia are half hardy or frost tender woody stemmed climbers from Africa and E. Asia. Millettia reticulata is native to S. China and Taiwan. It normally grows as a climber but, once it has developed woody stems, it can be a scandent shrub. In the wild, when mature, it can grow to 15 feet but one should probably not expect that much growth in a frost free greenhouse in the UK.
Millettia are relatively rare in propagation and Burncoose is delighted to introduce a new genus of conservatory plants onto its website. Millettia will grow outside in milder areas albeit where they are located in a sheltered area and in full sun. They can readily be pruned back to reshoot outdoors or inside at the end of each growing season to encourage better flowering next year. Do you grow Millettia on their own or do you let them grow up through an adjacent shrub? For the best flowering results we have found it best to grow them on their own on a trellis, fence, or arch.
M. reticulata has long pinnate leaves with 5-9 lance shaped leaflets in each. In summer it produces dense racemes or panicles of flowers which are 6-8 inches long. The flowers are pea-like and can be pink, red or blue.
Propagation is easiest from semi-ripe cuttings with bottom heat in summer. However, if your plant produces seed, these are also easy to grow if sown as soon as they are ripe in the autumn and overwintered with care in a totally frost free environment.
