Thunbergia erecta

Native from western tropical Africa to northwestern Tanzania, this evergreen shrub in the acanthus family grows about 6 feet tall and wide. Small, oval leaves grow in opposite pairs along slender brown stems. The trumpet-shaped flowers are usually blue-purple with yellow throats; white-flowered forms are also cultivated. In Florida, the slightly fragrant flowers appear throughout the year, especially in summer. Rounded seed capsules end in a pointed beak. The flowers arise singly from the leaf axils. Photographed in Colombia and Florida.