Commonly known as ‘Silk Vine’
As its name implies, this is a vigorous, twining, deciduous climber from south east Europe. It is perfectly hardy and will grow to 20 or more feet in a well drained soil and a warm site on a wall or trellis. It is not that well known or grown in the UK.
The stems exude a milky juice when cut which is poisonous. The flowers appear from short lateral shoots in small clusters of eight to twelve individual flowers which are 2-3in across in July and August. They are star shaped and greenish yellow outside and purplish-brown inside. The scent is not something to savour!
The seed pods appear in pairs and are 6in long and united at the tip. Each seed a remarkable tuft of silky hairs at the end and they are 1½in long.
It may be worth growing for its peculiar seeds alone. The seeds should be sown in the spring in a warm greenhouse.
We have seen these seeds in the nursery on young plants.
