Jade Vine
Strongylodon macrobotrys
Family: Fabaceae · Also called Emerald Vine, Tayabak (Filipino), Turquoise Jade Vine, Strongylodon warburgii, Strongylodon megaphyllus
Green & Fresh · Spring bloomer
The jade vine produces the most surreal flower color in nature, enormous hanging clusters (up to 3 feet long) of claw-shaped flowers in luminous turquoise-jade green that seem to glow from within. Nothing else in the plant kingdom produces this exact color. In its native Philippine rainforest, the pendulous clusters hang like chandeliers from the canopy.
rarity, uniqueness, precious beauty
In the Victorian language of flowers, jade vine means “Rare and precious beyond measure”. The jade vine is one of the world's most endangered plants, its native Philippine rainforest habitat is rapidly shrinking, and its natural pollinator (fruit bats) is declining. Botanical gardens worldwide grow it as a conservation measure. The otherworldly color, luminous turquoise-jade, has no parallel in the plant kingdom.
Did You Know?
Jade vine flowers produce their unique color through a combination of anthocyanins (blue pigments) and co-pigments that create a turquoise not seen in any other flower. The claw-shaped blooms are pollinated by fruit bats in the wild, the bats hang upside down and lap nectar while pollen coats their heads. In cultivation without bats, hand-pollination is needed for fruit set.
Tropical rainforest canopy in the Philippines, growing along riverbanks
Jade Vine is native to Philippines. It naturally grows in tropical rainforest canopy in the philippines, growing along riverbanks.
Scent Profile
“A faint, coconut-like sweetness, subtle enough that you might miss it. The appeal is entirely visual: the most extraordinary flower color in the plant kingdom.”
Quick Reference
- Scientific NameStrongylodon macrobotrys
- FamilyFabaceae
- Native ToPhilippines
- Bloom SeasonSpring
- LifespanPerennial
Cultural Significance
The jade vine is one of the world's most endangered plants, its native Philippine rainforest habitat is rapidly shrinking, and its natural pollinator (fruit bats) is declining. Botanical gardens worldwide grow it as a conservation measure. The otherworldly color, luminous turquoise-jade, has no parallel in the plant kingdom.