Coral Vine

Other common names: Coral Vine, Mountain-rose Coralvine, Rosa de Montana, Bellísima, Corallita, Bunga Bonet, Bunga Berteh, Honolulu Creeper, Confederate Vine, Mexican Creeper, Coral Creeper, Chain of Love, Hearts on a Chain, Love Vine, Queen's Wreath, 珊瑚藤, 朝日藤

Coral vines are hardy free-flowering vines that are commonly seen in rewilding areas, along roadside gardens, and biodiversity-attracting gardens. The flowers are highly attractive to bees and butterflies.

A perennial vine, coral vines are useful as biodiversity-attracting plants and perimeter plants to add a pop of colour to any garden.

Sun and soil needs:

This plant thrives in 4-8 hours of direct sunlight. This plant can also grow in at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight, but growth will be slower and the plant will produce less flowers. Plants do best in pots with loamy soil at least 30cm deep, or in true ground. These plants are vulnerable to root rot, so ensure that your pots drain well, and that your soil has plenty of organic matter to let the roots breathe. This plant is a versatile climber that does well on a variety of trellises.

Growing:

Coral vines are rapid growers and generally does not need fertilizing. The vine can rapidly grow up to 12m in height if it has a high enough trellis and will need to be pruned regularly. Regular pruning to promote airflow will keep the plant healthy and neat. The plant tends to flower towards the top, so regular pruning will encourage it to flower more uniformly.

Propagation:

Coral vines can be grown from seed or stem cuttings in water or soil.

Common problems & solutions:

This plant is relatively resistant to pests and disease if kept healthy.

If the plant does not receive enough light, it will stop producing flowers. Prune surrounding plants or move the plant to a sunnier spot to promote flower growth.

If your plant has few to no flowers, you can fertilise the plant with fertilisers high in phosphorus and potassium.