Queen’s Wreath

The fast-growing, tender perennial climbs thirty to forty feet tall with curled tendrils and bright green, heart-shaped leaves. The undersides of the leaves have pronounced green veins. The plant flowers prolifically with beautiful red, coral, light pink or white clusters from branching, terminal stalks. It blooms continuously from late summer until the first frost, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. After flowering, dark seeds that are enclosed in a light tan, papery sheath appear. The plant is a self-climber that clings to walls and wooden or metal trellises with its curled, strong tendrils. Its underground tubers are edible.  Plant the queen’s wreath in well-draining soil improved with amendments. Use on arbors, fences, and walls as a screening plant in pool areas and other water features. It is native to Mexico from Baja California, Sonora, and Chihuahua down into Oaxaca, Mexico and Central America.