Pakistan Gardening Forum

Please identify this plant, i found it at a nursery in Islamabad, the nurseryman told me it is called purple showers and it is very rare..... it also had a very intriguing scent somewhat strong fruity like.

It is a garlic vine or Mansoa alliacea. Initially I thought it is Thunbergia.

This climber is said to emit garlic like odour from all parts...so I wonder about the fruity smell.

Does the crshed leaf smell like garlik ?

I have always wondered why garlic vine hesitate to bloom in lahore. This one does seem to be garlic vine.

M Farooq wrote:It is a garlic vine or Mansoa alliacea. Initially I thought it is Thunbergia.

This climber is said to emit garlic like odour from all parts...so I wonder about the fruity smell.

By intriguing i meant that coz when i smelled the flower i couldnt compare it with any other flowers scent it was kind of pungent maybe like garlic

Muhammad Arif Khan wrote:Does the crshed leaf smell like garlik ?

Arif sb i didnt check the leaves smell.. i was so mesmerized by the three tone flower colour, it must have a garlic like smell as i have read in an article that it is used as a garlic substitute in the South Americas where it is native to and also has considerable medicinal values

khabbab wrote:I have always wondered why garlic vine hesitate to bloom in lahore. This one does seem to be garlic vine.

yes Khabbab bhai this is a garlic vine Farooq sb has confirmed it and the nursery guy said it blooms all year around in Islamabad in profusion, I dont know why it doesnt bloom in Lahore... maybe too much heat!

Tahir Khan wrote:

khabbab wrote:I have always wondered why garlic vine hesitate to bloom in lahore. This one does seem to be garlic vine.

yes Khabbab bhai this is a garlic vine Farooq sb has confirmed it and the nursery guy said it blooms all year around in Islamabad in profusion, I dont know why it doesnt bloom in Lahore... maybe too much heat!

Three years ago I saw the plant in full bloom at Lahore nursary farm and bought two plants (in fairly good condition). For two years they remained in (as you are) state. One of them has started active growth this year but the other is still in the same state.
Any suggestions?

The other will also start growing, sometimes it happens that if the plants are placed in different locations which get different lighting hours the biological clock of the plants may start slow for some and on time for others.. Just keep you fingers crossed it will start growing if it is healthy

Theoretically this might work:
Scratch the plant base to expose fresh green, apply some rooting hormone and wrap with plastic, this may break dormancy of roots...