Thunbergia battiscombei

Native from South Sudan to Kenya, this perennial plant in the acanthus family grows as a loose shrub or scrambling climber, commonly about 3 to 6 feet tall in gardens. Broad, oval leaves accompany clusters of blue-purple trumpet flowers with bright yellow throats. The flowers are about 2 inches long and emerge between paired, pale green, hairy bracts. It can flower throughout the year in warm climates. In its native African range, it occurs in woodland, fire-prone grassland, and riverside thickets. Sprawling stems root where they touch the ground, and it can be propagated by stem cuttings or division. Photographed in Florida.