Cobaea scandens (Cathedral Bells)

Native to Mexico, this plant is a vigorous perennial climbing vine cultivated and naturalized in many tropical and subtropical regions. Its compound leaves have two or three pairs of opposite, smooth-edged leaflets and end in branched tendrils that grip surrounding vegetation. Large, bell-shaped flowers are surrounded by a broad green calyx with rounded lobes. The corolla opens greenish cream and usually develops violet to deep purple coloring; long stamens extend beyond its opening. The flowers are initially musk-scented, becoming sweeter-scented as they mature. They face upward in bud and turn outward or downward as they open. Elongated capsules develop thin, woody walls and contain numerous seeds. It is invasive in New Zealand, where its dense growth can smother native vegetation. Photographed in the eastern Andes mountain range of Colombia.