Clitoria

Family. Legumes.

Origin. Tropics of Southeast Asia.

Description. Clitoria trifoliata are perennial herbaceous plants, vines or subshrubs with thin, climbing stems up to 12 m long. Young stems are pubescent. The leaves are compound, consisting of 3 - 7 elliptical light green or bluish-green leaflets, each 3 - 5 cm long. The flowers are extremely unusual, blue, pink, white, with a light center, single or arranged in pairs in axillary  inflorescences, up to 3 cm in diameter. After flowering, flat, slightly pubescent pods 5 - 7 cm long appear.

Height. The stems of the plant in the natural environment reach 12 m in length, in indoor culture - about 5 m.

Clitoria

Care

Reproduction

Propagated by seeds, which I pre-soak in warm water for 1-2 days. The first shoots appear in 1-2 weeks. Cuttings easily root in damp sand or vermiculite.

Growing at home

Clitoria grows quite quickly and eventually takes on the form of a liana. The long stems of the plant can be trimmed to maintain a compact shape. The tips of young shoots are regularly pinched to keep the plant bushy. Over time, it will need support for growth.

Containment temperature

Can be kept all year round at temperatures around 20°C. Do not expose to temperatures below 15°C. 

Clitoria

Soil

Adapts well to any soil that has good drainage. It develops successfully even in nutrient-poor soils. A mixture consisting of peat, garden soil and coarse sand or perlite is suitable.

When it blooms 

Flowering time. All year round with good care. 

Growing conditions - lighting

Plants like brightly lit areas with direct sunlight in the morning and evening. Shade on summer days.

Fertilizer

Feed during the growing season with liquid fertilizers in half concentration every 2 weeks. 

Clitoria

Spraying

Mist the leaves occasionally or place on a tray of damp pebbles to increase humidity during the winter months when the heating is on. Give the plant a location with good air circulation.

Watering

Keep the soil evenly moist all year. Do not allow moisture to stagnate in the pan. 

Transfer

Every year, in the spring.

Pests and diseases

Red spider mites and whiteflies. 

Purpose

Clitoria can be grown in hanging baskets - its stems will effectively hang over the edges of the pot. Sometimes used as a ground cover. When grown as a vine, it quickly twines around any support. 

Note

Used in medicine. In Malaysia, the flowers are used as food coloring. Healing teas are also prepared from flowers.

Clitoria