Moonseed

Family: Moonseed family. Origin: tropical America.

Herbaceous, strongly branching liana, more than 3 m in height, with shoots up to b m long, bearing large leaves that are heart-shaped below and three-lobed in the upper parts of the shoots, which create a water- and light-impermeable cover. In open ground it is often grown for its spectacular, pleasantly fragrant, large (up to 10 cm) white flowers, which, like magical lanterns, bloom at night and wither with the first rays of the sun; on cloudy days they remain open all day. Flowering time: from July–August and until the first frosts. Introduced into cultivation since 1773.